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Dirk Bogarde, James Caan, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Edward Fox ... see more see more... , Elliott Gould , Gene Hackman , Anthony Hopkins , Hardy Kruger , Laurence Olivier , Ryan O'Neal , Robert Redford , Maximilian Schell , Liv Ullmann , Arthur Hill , Wolfgang Preiss , Siem Vroom , Mary Smithuysen , Nicholas Campbell , Christopher Good , Keith Drinkel , Peter Faber , Alun Armstrong , Hartmut Becker , Michael Byrne , Simon Chandler , Erik Chitty , Stephen Churchett , Paul Copley , Ben Cross , Denholm Elliott , David English , Jack Galloway , Frank Grimes , Garick Hagon , Brian Hawksley , Ben Howard , George Innes , Frank Jarvis , Ray Jewers , Jeremy Kemp , Neil Kennedy , Walter Kohut , Ian Liston , Stephen Moore , Donald Pickering , John Ratzenberger , Patrick Ryecart , Gerald Sim , John Stride , Lex van Delden , Hans von Borsody , Fred Williams , Harry Ditson , John Hackett , Richard Kane , Paul Maxwell , Jason White , Michael Wolf , David Stockton , Niall Padden , Patrick Dickson , Milton Cadman , Michael Graham Cox , Shaun Curry , Stanley Lebor , Sean Mathias , Barry McCarthy , Hilary Minster , Toby Salaman , John Salthouse , James Snell , Edward McDermott , John Morton , Anthony Milner , David Auker , Jon Croft , Jack McKenzie , Donald Douglas , Colin Farrell , Peter Settelen , Chris Williams , Peter Gordon , John Judd , Hardy Kurger

It's late 1944, and the Allied armies are confident they'll win the World War II and be home in time for Christmas. What's needed, says British general Bernard Law Montgomery, is a knockout punch, a b... read more read more...old strike through Holland, where German troops are spread thin, that will put the Allies into Germany. Paratroops led by British major general Robert Urquhart (Sean Connery) and American brigadier general James Gavin (Ryan O'Neal) will seize a thin road and five bridges through Holland into Germany, with paratroops led by Lieutenant Col. John Frost (Sir Anthony Hopkins) holding the most critical bridge at a small town called Arnhem. Over this road shall pass combined forces led by British Lieutenant Gen. Brian Horrocks (Edward Fox) and British Lieutenant Col. Joe Vandeleur (Michael Caine). The plan requires precise timing, so much so that one planner tells Lieutenant Gen. Frederick Browning (Dirk Bogarde), "Sir, I think we may be going a bridge too far." The plan also has one critical flaw: Instead of a smattering of German soldiers, the area around Arnhem is loaded with crack SS troops. Disaster ensues. Based on a book by historian Cornelius Ryan, A Bridge Too Far is reminiscent of another movie based on a Ryan book, The Longest Day. Like that movie, it is loaded with more than 15 international stars, including Sir Laurence Olivier, Robert Redford, Hardy Krueger, Gene Hackman, Maximilian Schell, and Liv Ullman. ~ Nick Sambides, Jr., Rovi

Flixster Users

78% liked it

41,664 ratings

Critics

67% liked it

12 critics

R, 2 hr. 55 min.

Directed by: Richard Attenborough

Release Date: June 15, 1977

Keywords: war

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DVD Release Date: May 15, 2001

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Flixster Reviews (1,472)

  • moonrivers
    November 7, 2011
    moonrivers
    So it seems the Allies did not win every battle of the WWll, despite what's depicted in popular film: There were occasions of sad defeat and this is one of them, British General Montgomery's ill-conceived plan to crash through the Netherlands into Germany. A large project from t... read morehe get-go, a large Brit, Yank, German and Dutch cast attempt to convey why Operation Market Garden eventually failed. Great shots of Holland (my fav foreign country) abound.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    August 29, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    A Bridge Too Far recreates Operation Market Garden. Set in September 1944, this film is a superb recreation of the failed operation that could have ended the war by Christmas of that year. A Bridge Too Far is one of the most accurate portraits of Operation Market Garden, along wi... read moreth the portrayal of the failed operation in HBO'S Band of Brothers. A Bridge Too Far is a superb war film with a collection of some of cinema's finest actors. Every actor here are phenomenal in the parts they play, and you really get insight from what happened during operation Market Garden. The operation failed of inaccurate or little intelligence and the Allies encountered heavier German resistance than they originally anticipated. A Bridge Too Far is a film that tries to focus more on the historical aspects of the battle, and with that in mind, it's not a pure action film. Yes, there is a lot of fighting, but this film isn't meant to be an action film, I see it more as a history lesson that brings to light why this operation failed. If you're expecting a straight forward action packed war film, you'll be sadly disappointed. Richard Attenborough tried to focus on the realities of war, and focus more on the failed operation than giving the viewer a more straight forward action picture. That's why I enjoyed A Bridge Too Far, I am a WWII nut, I am obsessed with the subject, and I really enjoyed the fact that they tried to stay truthful to the real event, and not ruin it with your typical Hollywood stylized action scenes. There are some great war scenes in this film of course, and it's thrilling to watch. The all star cast adds a lot more depth to this film, and they make this film worth watching. Sean Connery, Michael Caine and Edward Fox really stood out for me. The only complaint I had the film was the fact that they tried to include a bit of Hollywood style drama into the story, which I think was unnecessary, as this was a strong film altogether. This is one of the classic war films to watch.
  • FilmFanatik
    February 20, 2011
    FilmFanatik
    There is a solid war film here hiding under a completely muddy narrative. The cast is great, though Gene Hackman's Polish accent was a turn-off - mainly because Hackman's voice and American accent are so essential to his performances. There are some compelling scenes and good i... read moredeas in there, but a narrative focus is sorely lacking.
  • binky013
    June 7, 2010
    binky013
    My dad participated in Operation Market Garden as part of the 82nd Airborne Division, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment -- nicknamed the Devils in Baggy Pants. His group is the one led by Robert Redford. My dad was in the half that provides fire from the river bank for those wh... read moreo are trying to row across in those miserable little boats. He lost many friends.

    My dad loved this movie -- all movies about the WWII European Theater. He and I watched many of them again and again. He always said that Robert Redford was perfectly cast for the role of Major Julian Cook, but that Ryan O'Neal was too young to play Brigadier General James Gavin.

    I still watch this one often, and more than any other WWII movie, in memory of my dad, and in honor of his 20 parachute missions in Europe.
  • jjnxn
    December 15, 2009
    jjnxn
    Ponderous telling of an unsuccessful invasion, a cast of mostly stellar actors are simply pushed here and there without enough time for anyone to make a real impression or when you start to become involved in their story they disappear from the narrative, additionally the film is... read more at least an hour too long.
  • deano
    January 17, 2009
    deano
    Lifeless, overproduced version of the fine Cornelius Ryan book about disastrous 1944 Allied airdrop behind German lines in Holland. Here goes another story of a famous battle with the traditional all-star cast that I like it.
  • 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.
  • 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 moreunfairly 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.
  • staindslaved
    March 3, 2012
    staindslaved
    A sweeping war drama with a multi-character cast that focuses little on development and mostly on big battle scenes and military strategy. The worst thing to happen to this film was its similarity to The Longest Day which was a far greater and more memorable film. There are far... read more greater war films out there but if you've already burned through the classics you can check out A Bridge Too Far.

View All A Bridge Too Far Reviews

Critic Reviews

Peter Canavese
June 1, 2008
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews

Consistently reinforces the horrors of war by depicting not only the disasterous military engagements and their toll on heroes, but also the witless political decisions that led to needless, excessive... Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
May 29, 2007
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Though overlong, muddled, ponderous and overbaked, it's not without some impressive moments. Full Review

Steve Crum
August 1, 2005
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com

Dozens of stars do not a classic WWII flick make. James Caan fares best of them all in a memorable sequence.

Clint Morris
July 4, 2005
Clint Morris, Moviehole

A gripping bit of cinema

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
January 23, 2004
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

Recreates this complicated and tragic military venture with breathtaking sweep, historical accuracy and sober-eyed humanism. Full Review

Brian Mckay
March 19, 2003
Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com

Fantastic WW2 epic with a 1970's "all star" cast.

December 10, 2008
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 9, 2005
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Christopher Null
January 10, 2006
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
July 21, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

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