Rating: 
Summary: Epic Movie, Mediocre DVD Transfer
Review: I've loved this movie since I first saw it in the theaters with my father, then read Cornelius Ryan's superb book. The cast is wonderful, except Gene Hackman is miscast as a Pole (however, Hackman's valiant attempt at a Polish accent does compare favorably to Kevin Costner's butchering of a Boston accent in Thirteen Days). Anthony Hopkins is particularly rewarding as the valiant British paratrooper commander who tries to hold on to Arnhem Bridge against a determined onslaught by the Germans. Certainly, few modern films can lay claim to the kind of star power on display in this film: Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, Dirk Bogarde, Ryan O'Neal, Robert Redford, Elliot Gould, Edward Fox, Michael Caine, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Liv Ullman, James Caan...and even Cliff from Cheers!Beyond the cast, the movie is enhanced by some impressive production credits as well. The technical accuracy of the film is very good, and the story is true to Ryan's book. Most importantly, the movie tackles the type of war story often avoided in Hollywood -- the costly, embarrassing defeat of the "good guys" in a battle which should have been won. Given my high regard for the movie, I was very disappointed at the quality of the DVD transfer. All the flaws of the source film are here for the viewing,...
Rating:
Summary: Huge WWII epic
Review: A Bridge Too Far is a huge epic movie detailing the preparation and execution of the biggest paratrooper invasion in history, Operation Market Garden. In an effort to end the war sooner, the Allied High Command plans an attack that will drop thousands of paratroopers behind enemy lines and then send the armour in to meet up with them and take over several strategic German positions. The film does at times try to do to much, but it still maintains a sense of reality and how futile the whole plan actually was. There are excellent action sequences, fairly graphic for the time, very good cast, and a musical score that will stick in your head for several days. A Bridge Too Far boasts an excellent cast full of big name stars. The movie stars Dirk Bogarde, James Caan, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Edward Fox, Elliott Gould, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Hardy Kruger, Laurence Olivier, Ryan O'Neal, Robert Redford, Maximilian Schell and Liv Ullmann. While all of them are pretty good, James Caan sticks out as the sergeant who promises his lieutenant that he won't let him die, and Anthony Hopkins as the leader of the paratroopers trapped in Arnhem. Based on the novel by Cornelius Ryan, this is a very good movie that does succeed in doing many things that it set out to do. The DVD is very good with widescreen presentation, original theatrical trailer, and an 8-page booklet included. Excellent World War II epic! Check it out! Also, look for John Ratzenberger, Cliff from Cheers, in a small role as one of Robert Redford's men. Look fast because he doesn't survive for very long.
Rating: 
Summary: The WWII film for WWII fans
Review: This is perhaps the best movie for the World War II buff. Might I must add this is for the buff only. If you watch a World War II movie for the passion of "Saving Private Ryan" or the formulaic melodrama of "Windtalkers," you may find yourself bored. "A Bridge Too Far" goes about as far as personal conflict with James Caan's attempt to rescue a fellow soldier to fulfill a promise that they won't die...but that lasts about ten minutes of the movie. The plot is all about the battle, the commanders, and the men who fought it, as well as the plans and actions that went behind the whole thing. If you saw "Tora Tora Tora" you'll know what I mean. And if "Tora Tora Tora" bored you, then you should probably avoid "A Bridge Too Far." But if you like watching a movie with great attention to detail, then you will love this movie. No longer do we have American tanks with Iron Crosses painted on them, all the battles look almost like the way they would have looked in the real war. Perhaps the violence is not as graphically realistic as today's films, but being a film from the 70's you have to cut it some slack. I can definately highlight the three best parts of this movie: 1) the airborne drops, which are filmed in first-person so that you see the paratroopers jumping out and even checking their parachutes afterward (adding to the realism); 2) the music - I don't know a collection of military themes that doesn't include the Bridge Too Far March; and 3) the cast, which was well picked for each part - I can't decide who I like better, Sean Connery as Urqheart, Edward Fox as Horrocks, or Sir Lawrence Olivier as a good-hearted Dutch doctor, but every one does their part like no other actor collection I've ever seen. So in short, I highly recommend this for my fellow World War II historians who want to see a part of history re-animated in a near perfect fashion, then you should definately add this to your collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie, terrible DVD
Review: Based upon an outstanding book by Cornelius Ryan, this movie tells the story of Field Marshall Montgomery's ambitious but very risky plan to invade Germany in the fall of 1944, by dropping airborne troops to take strategic bridges, and sending an armored column to link up with the airborne troops. The plan required too much to go perfectly, it didn't, and the plan failed. The movie is told mostly from the British point of view, but that is appropriate because the British planned the operation and took most of the casualties. The British 1st Airborne Division, commanded by Roy Urqhart (Sean Connery) was dropped 64 miles behind enemy lines, right on top of a Panzer division, and was nearly wiped out. Only 2,000 of the 10,000 men in the division made it back to allied lines. This is a war movie in the grand tradition, made before moviemakers could cheat with digital effects. Thus, the massive air drops, for example, were real. (The same airdrop portrayed in the recent HBO series "Band of Brothers" relied on digital effects to paint in many of the parachutes in the background.) Unfortunately, the film that this DVD was mastered from was in dreadful, really terrible condition. There are flecks and white spots galore, all throughout the picture. These white flecks can be digitally "repaired," but no one bothered to do that on this DVD. Consequently, this is just about the worst looking DVD I have ever seen. A movie this magnificent deserved a better DVD treatment, authored from a cleaned up, fully restored film. My grade of two stars is for the DVD only; the film is easily a five star film, especially for war movie and WWII movie buffs.
Rating:
Summary: Last of the Great WWII Film Epics
Review: Huge film production about Operation Market Garden, the Allied invasion into the Netherlands during World War II. The film recreates the massive parachute assaults of the 1st (British), 82nd (American) and 101st (American) Airborne Infantry Divisions; each seizing critical bridges for the follow-on ground offensive by the United Kingdom's XXX Corps. The parachute drop sequence of the lead British paratrooper battalion on the deepest objective, Arnhem, and hence the title of the movie, is breathtaking. The British paratroopers then desperately defend themselves in a series of exciting and brutal battles against German forces not detected by British Intelligence. Matters become severe as XXX Corps is delayed in its own battles while attempting link-up with the British paratroopers trapped in Arnhem. The river-crossing attack by a battalion of American "82nd" paratroopers, under the command of Major Julian Cook, portrayed by Robert Redford, is stunning. Also memorable is James Caan as a Sergeant who rescues his dying commander, and later threatens an Army doctor with deadly force to save him. The all-star cast is great, though Ryan O'Neal could have put more 'gusto' into his performance as General James Gavin, the dynamic commander of the 82nd Airborne Division. The scale of the picture is staggering and it's easy to see why this production went over-budget. It's visually impressive and provides a detailed history lesson on this WW II operation. While exciting to watch, A Bridge Too Far does requires a viewer's full attention to follow the complex storyline
Rating:
Summary: A Remarkable but Forgotten Epic
Review: This is a terrific film in many ways. It is not entirely accurate in places (Redford crosses the river bravely, not the British)... it also suffers from an overblown and, at times, tedius repetitive "military march" music score that seems inappropriate for the scenes now and again..... HOWEVER.... it is truly entertaining, moving, and it is accurate enough to show how truly tragic war can be. The acting is first rate, especially the British actors, the Americans also turn in some fine parformances, particularly Gene Hackman.... the only weak performance is by Ryan O'Neil, who looks terrific, but seems too young for the part he plays and tends to walk through his part with one blank and static expression. I did enjoy this film though, great action shots, superior sets, props, costumes, and gorgeous photography. Overall the film is a moving tribute to some very brave and heroic men in a fierce battle... and the battle scenes are amazing and vivid. The look of my DVD is VERY GOOD. The print is not without flaws, but it is clear and clean and the sound is fully stereophonic. It is presented in true widescreen and the color was very natural. It is nearly 3 hours long and I had no trouble with my player reading the second layer smoothly. I would give this print and transfer an 8 out of 10. This DVD is not expensive, and its well worth the money for anyone who enjoys great world war 2 films... and this rates among the best of those concerning the European Theater. A fine DVD and a wonderful evening of entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: The WWII film for WWII fans
Review: This is perhaps the best movie for the World War II buff. Might I must add this is for the buff only. If you watch a World War II movie for the passion of "Saving Private Ryan" or the formulaic melodrama of "Windtalkers," you may find yourself bored. "A Bridge Too Far" goes about as far as personal conflict with James Caan's attempt to rescue a fellow soldier to fulfill a promise that they won't die...but that lasts about ten minutes of the movie. The plot is all about the battle, the commanders, and the men who fought it, as well as the plans and actions that went behind the whole thing. If you saw "Tora Tora Tora" you'll know what I mean. And if "Tora Tora Tora" bored you, then you should probably avoid "A Bridge Too Far." But if you like watching a movie with great attention to detail, then you will love this movie. No longer do we have American tanks with Iron Crosses painted on them, all the battles look almost like the way they would have looked in the real war. Perhaps the violence is not as graphically realistic as today's films, but being a film from the 70's you have to cut it some slack. I can definately highlight the three best parts of this movie: 1) the airborne drops, which are filmed in first-person so that you see the paratroopers jumping out and even checking their parachutes afterward (adding to the realism); 2) the music - I don't know a collection of military themes that doesn't include the Bridge Too Far March; and 3) the cast, which was well picked for each part - I can't decide who I like better, Sean Connery as Urqheart, Edward Fox as Horrocks, or Sir Lawrence Olivier as a good-hearted Dutch doctor, but every one does their part like no other actor collection I've ever seen. So in short, I highly recommend this for my fellow World War II historians who want to see a part of history re-animated in a near perfect fashion, then you should definately add this to your collection.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Adaptation of a Classic War Book
Review: The movie version of Cornelius Ryan's book A Bridge Too Far is a fully faithful adaptation of a war classic. As such, it is a classic in its own right. The movie includes the planning and execution of the flawed Operation Market Garden, the largest Allied airborne operation of World War II. It also includes several of the human interest vignettes from Ryan's book. The movie is consistently interesting throughout and is never boring. A true classic.
Rating:
Summary: A successful failure...
Review: - History -
Operation Market-Garden, begun in September 1944, was an Allied military campaign led by Montgomery, the senior British field commander, in the latter stages of World War II. While the Allies were still in France, a plan had to be formulated for making the major push into German territory, a difficult task, considering the Rhine River (one of the major rivers of the world) provided a natural defensive border with the majority of the German homeland. Planning offensive operations required taking this into account, and how the forces would cross the river and remain safe while doing so, rather than have bottlenecks that would make the forces easy targets. While Patton was in the south, pushing through France on the backside of the old Maginot line, Montgomery hit upon an idea to seize a series of bridges across the various rivers that made up the geography of the Low Countries, all the way up to Arnhem, one of the northern-most major bridges across the Rhine, a bridge outside of German territory, but a good jumping-off point for invading northern Germany. His plan won approval, and in one of the largest military operations of the war, a major push was developed to secure the bridges. This had the largest airborne component of any battle in the war, as troops were airlifted and dropped into position around each bridge, charged to hold the bridges until ground forces pushed northward linking up logistic and defensive lines toward each spot. Operation Market-Garden was actually two operations -Market was the airborne component; Garden was the ground component. It was meant to take the Germans by surprise (which it did) and exploit their disorganisation (which was, sadly for the Allies, not as severe as intelligence predicted). The Allies were stopped short of their primary military objectives (securing an 80-mile corridor of bridges) by some 25-30 miles. Hence the name of the film, derived from the book by Cornelius Ryan, 'A Bridge Too Far'. - Film -
Cornelius Ryan's book was adapted for the screen by writer William Goldman and director Richard Attenborough, a leading director of British cinema, noted for such diverse films as Gandhi (for which he won an Oscar), A Chorus Line, Cry Freedom, and Shadowlands. Attenborough was nominated for a BAFTA directing award for 'A Bridge Too Far' in 1978. Attenborough is also well-known in front of the camera, too. Attenborough brought together a monumental cast for this epic film, worthy of Cecil B. DeMille in scope and size. At just under three hours in length, it is as unrelenting as the combat scenes it depicts. While not matching the graphic realism of films such as 'Saving Private Ryan', it nonetheless does a good job at combining a look at grand strategies (from formation to failure), tactical maneuvers, and individual combat situations. The high command in Britain, hoping to capitalise on the continuing disorder in Germany arising from their adjustment to fighting a losing war on two fronts (three, in fact, if one includes Italy), saw the opportunity to strike. Through a series of misfires and misunderstandings, they end up fighting not local police forces (the Netherlands had been spared intense battleground warfare for most of the war, and thus was thought to not contain any real combat-strength troops) but crack Panzer division placed there, essentially on a rest stop before being deployed in more critical areas. The planning and preparations are realistic, from a look at the intelligence gathering and analysis (these were the days before satellite imagery), the gathering together of equipment and personnel, the execution of the operations, and the demoralising realisation that Operation Market-Garden is not going well. One of the most outstanding scenes involves General Stanislaw Sosabowski (played by Gene Hackman) discussing the operation with his superiors - Sosabowski, a general of the Polish forces in exile in England, distrusts the operation, for good reason, but acquiesces to support the plan. His uneasiness is palpable. The cinematography is terrific, considering it was done largely without 'trick' shots - no helicopter shots, no CGI graphics, no slow motion or composite tricks. The airborne drops are breathtaking, giving the thrill and the danger a realistic tone. The film does not depict glider landings (some of the most dangerous types of drops, and presumably because of this danger, omitted from the filming). The desperation of the men who land without their equipment (or miss the airdrops later due to failed communications) is easily felt - the sense of the waste of war is driven home when one soldier sprints to get some desperately needed supplies that have fallen just outside of the secure zone - being shot by a sniper, the sense of futility is underscored by the breeze blowing soldiers' caps (which was the contents of the supplies for which the soldier paid with his life) drifting away. The acting is stunning in many instances, but for the most part it is the usual good job rather than outstanding that one might hope for from such an elite group of actors. The music is memorable and appropriate. One drawback is that the editing of the film makes it a bit confusing to keep the various storylines going, particularly if one has studied the sequence of events in World War II history, which, while followed as a pattern, is not adhered to with rigour in the filming. - Conclusions -
Operation Market-Garden was conceived as a plan to get the troops 'home for Christmas', hoping to secure a passage into Germany prior to the winter, to force them into surrender. As history would have it, there were major battles to fight before the war would finish the following summer. This film captures a significant campaign in good format, showing the operational and human aspects in a high relief.
Rating:
Summary: A Remarkable but Forgotten Epic
Review: This is a terrific film in many ways. It is not entirely accurate in places (Redford crosses the river bravely, not the British)... it also suffers from an overblown and, at times, tedius repetitive "military march" music score that seems inappropriate for the scenes now and again..... HOWEVER.... it is truly entertaining, moving, and it is accurate enough to show how truly tragic war can be. The acting is first rate, especially the British actors, the Americans also turn in some fine parformances, particularly Gene Hackman.... the only weak performance is by Ryan O'Neil, who looks terrific, but seems too young for the part he plays and tends to walk through his part with one blank and static expression. I did enjoy this film though, great action shots, superior sets, props, costumes, and gorgeous photography. Overall the film is a moving tribute to some very brave and heroic men in a fierce battle... and the battle scenes are amazing and vivid. The look of my DVD is VERY GOOD. The print is not without flaws, but it is clear and clean and the sound is fully stereophonic. It is presented in true widescreen and the color was very natural. It is nearly 3 hours long and I had no trouble with my player reading the second layer smoothly. I would give this print and transfer an 8 out of 10. This DVD is not expensive, and its well worth the money for anyone who enjoys great world war 2 films... and this rates among the best of those concerning the European Theater. A fine DVD and a wonderful evening of entertainment.
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