A Bridge Too Far poster & wallpaper

Dirk Bogarde, Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins

An historic telling of the failed attempt to capture several bridges to Germany in World War II in a campaign called Operation Market-Garden.

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80% liked it

9,810 ratings

Critics

67% liked it

12 critics

PG, 2 hrs. 56 min.

Directed by: Richard Attenborough

Release Date: June 15, 1977

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DVD Release Date: May 15, 2001

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Flixster Reviews (1,318)

  • hypathio7
    June 5, 2009
    hypathio7
    An overly long and complicated plot. William Goldman, who adapted the script from the novel and accounts from real service men involved in this conflict, insists that he and the other filmmakers took special care to show the events as they really happened. He says critics have ...( read more)unfairly accused the movie of being filled with Hollywood moments that can't be believed. In the special features I saw the filmmakers admit a few cases when they were not absolutely historically accurate. For instance, Robert Redford's character is actually the combination of a couple real life men. And Elliott Gould's character is fictional, but again a mash-up of some other real people. I particularly found it hard to believe a daring escape made by James Caan's character. And while I'm mentioning him, I thought that all of Caan's scenes could have been cut. They did not help move the main story forward, his character disappeared from the end of the movie without explanation, and such a long movie could have been shaved down in this case.

    Bogarde plays British Lt. General Browning who is executing the Market Garden plan of General Montgomery. Browning meets with four Generals at the beginning but now I can't place who the fourth guy was. Attenborough explains that all the big name stars were hired to help people more easily follow the plot as it jumps from location to location. At least that effort helps. But I'm not as familiar with all the British stars and with many of the men in helmets or obscured by blood, it was still hard to keep up with all the elements of the plot. Anyways, Market Garden is about taking control of three bridges along the only road running through German occupied Holland to Germany. The first General meeting with Browning whose name I can't remember I think is sent to capture and hold the first bridge, or assign the job, or maybe he sends the first wave to capture and hold the third bridge. It's unclear in my mind and I don't remember seeing his face later in the movie. Moving on, O'Neal plays American Brig. General Gavin who is sent to the second bridge. Then from that same first meeting, Connery plays Scottish Maj. General Urquhart who is sent to lead the second wave to drop down near the third bridge. And Hackman plays Polish Maj. General Sosabowski who must deal with being the leftovers, he's to lead the third wave to help hold control of the third bridge. The whole plan involves a set of tanks moving up the road as each bridge is cleared and thousands of men parachuted down to fight for their respective bridges. There is Caine as Lt. Colonel J.O.E. leading the tanks. Gould plays Colonel Stout who organizes the troops in fixing the first bridge. O'Neal enlists Major Cook's (Redford) help in paddling across a river in broad daylight with his men to accomplish capturing both sides of the second bridge at once. Hopkins as Lt. Colonel Frost is leading the first wave to try to hold the third bridge. Except it is much more heavily defended than expected and before long they are just barely holding on for dear life. Connery's group lands in an area that is also more heavily defended than expected and it becomes more and more unlikely that his men will make it to the third bridge. Hackman's men are delayed by the weather and by the time they arrive to backup the third bridge the Germans are even more prepared. There are a couple German Generals who play major roles as well. Olivier plays a doctor and Ullmann a woman who lets many of the wounded stay at her house. It's a good story about an unsuccessful Allied campaign following D-Day. However, there is just a lot going on and too many Generals to keep track of. The movie could have been better focused.
  • AgentLexi2132
    February 3, 2008
    AgentLexi2132
    Pending Review...

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  • organgrinder136
    November 10, 2007
    organgrinder136
    as someone else on here said... no one shined. this was all about the reminiscing of how we really fucked this up and alot of allied soldiers died. this film was more about the action sequences than anything else and they were good action sequences. it was a history lesson as wel...( read more)l for those that didn't know about arnhem and monty's operation market garden. if i was in that market i'd be hiding under a stall!!! not a bad action/war flick by richard attenborough. a bit short on dialogue and drama
  • garyX
    November 19, 2006
    garyX
    And an hour too long. Sprawling WWII drama packed with an all-star cast, but the sheer number of supporting characters means that none are able to shine. A solid war film nonetheless.
  • MovieGeek13
    November 2, 2006
    MovieGeek13
    Too long, slow, lifeless.
  • Yelverton
    November 8, 2009
    Yelverton
    A film with too many actors and too little time.
  • TheJuniorEbert
    October 7, 2009
    TheJuniorEbert
    Attenborough's epic telling of Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery's great fiasco, Operation: Market-Garden. This film is simply bursting with well-known -- and some not-so-well-known -- screen talent. Combine that with the best action of the pre-Saving Private Ryan era and ...( read more)the story itself (which needed to be told) and Germans that speak German and you get what you get: one of the best late-century WWII epics of international cinema... ever.
  • EbertsLittleApprentice
    September 29, 2009
    EbertsLittleApprentice
    If this film was better in every aspect "Spielberg's", Saving Private Ryan wasn't, what is that telling you?
  • BeyondAGraySea
    September 27, 2009
    BeyondAGraySea
    *want to see it again
  • WitchfulThinking
    August 17, 2009
    WitchfulThinking
    ...( read more)


    For anyone unfamiliar with this established, late 1970's classic, A Bridge Too Far is a dramatization of the failed WWII Operation Market-Garden, in which the Allies tried to smash through German lines and secure several bridges, with the main objective being the bridge over the Lower Rhine in The Netherlands.

    British Lieutenant-General Frederick Browning, deputy commander of the First Allied Airborne Army, told Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery before the operation, "I think we may be going a bridge too far."

    If you like dead-on historical accuracy, and see war as being a horrid, bloody nightmare, then you may find this to be a Disneyesque, whitewashed account. To its credit it does touch upon some of the apparent stupidity and incompetence engaged in by both sides.

    On the other hand, if you just want a well shot adventure film with an all-star cast featuring lots of hot and heavy WWII shootin' action, it's very entertaining.

    Best of all, the spirited, inspirational music and periodic wisecracks let you know that although thousands of good men were horribly mutilated and died pointless, gruesome deaths, war is really kind of fun and everything works out OK in the end. Go team! Jeepers, if we'd just had the foresight to set up some loudspeakers with John Addison's Broadway show tune style scores, the Ardennes could have been turned into a fanciful romp!

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Comments

  • rayman0071
    January 24, 2007
    rayman0071
    Released during the summer of 1977,this film was impressive from beginning to end... An All Star Cast!!!
    It maybe too long,but its the best three hours you will enjoy sitting with the action coming at you at a rapid pace! FACT: Released during the summer of that year,next to another successful movie,the all-time box office champ of that year..STAR WARS
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