Review of A Bridge Too Far (1977) by Tracey C — 21 Apr 2011

Following the success of the Normandy invasion of June, 1944, the Allies launched operation Market Garden the following September. This operation was an attempt to put an early end to the war and have the boys home for Christmas. The plan was for the Allies, including the crack American 82nd and 101st airborne divisions and the British 1st airborne and XXX corps, to advance up a narrow 64 mile long road in Holland to the town of Arnhem, where the forces would turn east, cross the Rhine, and smash the German industrial area in the Ruhr valley.

However, a combination of faulty intelligence, battlefield politics, bad luck, and poor weather led to disaster beyond the Allies' darkest fears. The Allies thought that they would be facing 2nd line German troops when in reality, they were parachuting onto two fully equipped front line panzer divisions. The British airborne troops in Arnhem were supposed to be reinforced in two days, but after nine days, the British were completely surrounded and forced to surrender.

The movie was shot on the actual battlefield locations, and at the time was one of the costliest films ever made. What makes this movie so special is its all-star cast. A who's who of actors appear, including James Caan (Sgt. Eddie Dohun), Michael Caine (Col. Joe Vandeleur), Sean Connery (Gen. Robert Urquhart), Gene Hackman (Gen. Stanislaw Sosabowski), Anthony Hopkins (Lt. Col. John Frost), Laurence Olivier (Dr. Spaander), Ryan O'Neil (Gen. James "Jumpin Jim" Gavin), Robert Redford (Maj. Julian Cook), and Maximillian Schell (Lt. Gen. Wilhelm Bittrich). With 35,000 men, 300 miles, nine days, and six bridges, Market Garden was the largest airborne assault in military history.

I highly recommend this excellent movie. The acting is first rate and the painstaking efforts to assure authenticity and realism are clearly evident throughout the film. Watch and see how a combination of elements conspired to cause a disaster that the Allies never expected.