Operation Market Garden, September 1944: The Allies attempt to capture several strategically important bridges in the Netherlands in the hope of breaking the German lines.Operation Market Garden, September 1944: The Allies attempt to capture several strategically important bridges in the Netherlands in the hope of breaking the German lines.Operation Market Garden, September 1944: The Allies attempt to capture several strategically important bridges in the Netherlands in the hope of breaking the German lines.
- Won 4 BAFTA Awards
- 7 wins & 5 nominations total
- Underground Leader's Wife
- (as Marlies Van Alcmaer)
- Underground Leader's Son
- (as Eric Van't Wout)
- Gen. Blumentritt
- (as Hans Von Borsody)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSir Dirk Bogarde's portrayal of General Browning was highly controversial, and several friends of the late General suggested that, had Browning still been alive in 1977, he would have sued director Sir Richard Attenborough and screenwriter William Goldman for libel. Bogarde took issue with the portrayal during filming, having known Browning personally, as he was a member of Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery's staff during the war. Bogarde was upset by the personal criticism he received following the release of the film, especially as he had not been involved in the writing of the script. Although Attenborough publicly took responsibility for the controversy, his relationship with Bogarde was never the same again. Browning's son said he believed his father was made the fall guy for the failure of Operation Market Garden in the film because the producers knew there would have been too much flak if they went after Montgomery.
- GoofsThe Allied plans for Market-Garden were correctly shown as falling into German hands from a downed Allied plane. In the film, they were ignored. In actuality, they were turned over to German paratroop expert General Student, who realized their accuracy and importance and used them in determining his troop deployments.
- Quotes
[an SS officer is approaching under a white flag]
Major Harry Carlyle: Rather interesting development, sir.
[to the German]
Major Harry Carlyle: That's far enough! We can hear you from there!
SS Panzer Officer: My general says there is no point in continuing this fighting! He wishes to discuss terms of a surrender!
Major Harry Carlyle: Shall I answer him, sir?
Lt. Col. John Frost: Tell him to go to hell.
Major Harry Carlyle: We haven't the proper facilities to take you all prisoner! Sorry!
SS Panzer Officer: [confused] What?
Major Harry Carlyle: We'd like to, but we can't accept your surrender! Was there anything else?
[German officer walks off]
Lt. Col. John Frost: Well, that's that.
[the officer returns to General Bittrich, and they converse in German]
SS Panzer Officer: They rejected our surrender offer. What are your orders, Herr General?
Lt. General Bittrich: Flatten Arnhem.
- Alternate versionsThe UK cinema release was cut by the BBFC in order to get an "A" rating by editing out the word "fucking" in the scene where James Caan holds the doctor at gunpoint, while Elliott Gould's line "Roll the fuckers" was dubbed over with "Roll it, fellas." In addition, a shot of a dead soldier with his intestines exposed was cut, and closeups of men's bloody faces during the assault on Arnhem were also removed. The cuts were restored in the 15-rated video and DVD versions.
- ConnectionsEdited into My Name Is Modesty: A Modesty Blaise Adventure (2004)
- Soundtracks3rd Movement
(from Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-Flat Major, BWV. 1051) (uncredited)
Music by Johann Sebastian Bach
The film is based upon Operation Market Garden, an Allied plot hatched towards the end of 1944 with the intention of ending the war in Europe. The concept behind the plan was to drop 35,000 soldiers into Holland approximately 60 miles beyond the German lines, to seize six vital bridges, and to reinforce the paratroopers by sending in thousands of ground troops. However, various mishaps jeopardised the mission and eventually the Allies were cut off and had to withdraw, suffering severe losses.
As stellar casts go, A Bridge Too Far still takes some rivalling. Among the many famous actors involved, these are just a few: Sean Connery, Robert Redford, Laurence Olivier, Dirk Bogarde, James Caan, Ryan O'Neal, Gene Hackman, Michael Caine, Anthony Hopkins and Elliott Gould. It seems pointless for some of the actors to be cast in these roles - true enough, Connery, Bogarde and Hopkins get decent roles and a fair bit of screen time, but was it really worth paying Redford $2,000,000 for his ten minute heroics? Could a decent actor have not handled the role for a fraction of that amount? Is Gene Hackman really the correct choice for Polish officer Major General Stanislaw Sosabowski? Should a light comic actor like Elliott Gould be doing his cigar-chomping "fun" turn in a movie as serious as this?
Luckily, the film is a big success on other levels. The cinematography is extraordinary; the music is suitably stirring; the potentially confusing story is handled with clarity and true-to-the-facts sensitivity; and amid the chaos a number of very memorable scenes emerge. A Bridge Too Far is a very good war film - maybe the biggest war film ever conceived (The Longest Day and Saving Private Ryan included) - and I feel that, although it has a few casting flaws, it is in almost every other department a great, great achievement.
- barnabyrudge
- Nov 9, 2004
- Permalink
Everything New on Prime Video in October
Everything New on Prime Video in October
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Die Brücke von Arnheim
- Filming locations
- Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands(Nijmegen Bridge scenes and battle sequence)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $27,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $50,750,000
- Gross worldwide
- $50,750,000
- Runtime2 hours 55 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1