A Bridge Too Far

One of the most well-known and most disastrous Allied operations of the Second World War. It tries to depict all possible perspectives, so we get scenes inside military command tents where tactics are decided upon and scenes with supply units and with regular soldiers in the front line. But the screenplay doesn’t help. Due to the incredible number of stars that appear in this, the filmmakers decided to include a scene with each of them where they had a little room to perform. The result is a pastiche of excellent individual scenes that don’t work together as a compact whole. Lots of characters come out of nowhere, do their couple of minutes of acting and thereafter have just fleeting appearances or don’t appear ever again. Attenborough needed a firmer hand and also to get his priorities straight. (26/01/2007)

One of the few war films where the density of the plot prevails over breathtaking action. In terms of content, it is possibly the most elaborate war film I have ever seen. Richard Attenborough came up with a slightly different approach than most of his colleagues. He does not deal too much with fighting on the front lines, severed limbs, and the chaos of combat, he focuses instead on the luxurious quarters of generals, marshals, their tactics, and experience of the conflict. But there is no shortage of tension, as the cast is truly stellar and the characters are excellently outlined. It’s a pity that the action is weaker, as at that time film technology was not at the forefront like in the last 15 years. If this film were made in modern times, it would probably be the best war piece ever. (31/05/2008)

The film's strengths include exceptionally well-cast actors and decent historical accuracy. The technology used was predominantly American since the film was made long before CGI, but I didn't mind. What bothered me more were the scenes that I could easily do without, and the creators could have saved money, for example, on James Caan's fees. However, what bothered me was the introduction that said everything was going according to Hitler's plans until the Allied invasion of Normandy changed that. I'm still not sure if I should consider it a joke or a manifestation of creative dilettantism. Despite these minor flaws, I still think the film is a perfect example today of what can happen when a high military commander decides to prove to his rival that he can outdo him regardless of the consequences. / Lesson learned: If you are planning something, don't forget to consider the possible reaction of others involved. (14/04/2023)