A Bridge Too Far 4K 1977 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

In September 1944, after the successful invasion of Normandy, the Allies prepare the covert Operation Market Garden: a daring plan to quickly end World War II by air raiding Germany and destroying all of the Reich's military factories. However, a combination of failed battle tactics, faulty intelligence, bad luck and bad weather lead to disaster.

Review 4K Movie

I want to clarify - the movie is not about “air raid” and not about “destruction of all military factories of the Reich”, as it is written in the abstract. The movie tells about one of the most risky Allied operations in World War II - the landing of Anglo-American troops in East Holland in order to seize bridges over the main water obstacles, which made it possible to quickly advance deep into Germany. The plan was Napoleonic - in case of success British “strategists” planned to finish the war by Christmas 1944. But in reality, everything went wrong. Intelligence data that in the landing area are strong motorized SS units, were simply ignored by General Browning (D. Bogard), so as not to cancel the operation, which in case of success could bring so much honor and awards. From the outset, the British paratroopers were left without communications, guidance or air support. One of the generals - General Hercuart (the role of Sh. Connery) idly spent 36 hours hiding from the Germans in one of the city's attics. A Polish parachute brigade was thrown straight into enemy machine guns. And so on.

The failed plan, on which so much hope had been pinned, cost the lives, health, or freedom of more than 15,000 British, Americans, and Poles (more than five thousand wounded were taken prisoner). The Dutch town of Arnhem, which was at the tip of the attack, was swept away, many civilians were killed and subjected to reprisals by the occupiers.

German losses amounted to just over three thousand - five times less.

The reasons for the defeat - underestimation of the enemy and overconfidence in their forces of the Allied command - honestly and unflatteringly reflected in the movie. “A Bridge Too Far” is not about ”heroic Americans saving the world from fascism.”

It's a traditional movie in the best sense of the word. It's about warlords who want glory in exchange for the lives of their soldiers, it's about military operations that don't go as planned from the start, it's about radios that don't work, it's about people fighting in encirclement, it's about supplies that are dropped straight to the enemy because “orders are to ignore signs from the ground,” it's about the disasters that war brings to civilians who have already been led to believe in their liberation.

What I love about this movie is the generals parachuting into the unknown with the rank and file paratroopers. Maxwell Taylor is the brawny uncle with the cigar, then his name will only be associated with the US Vietnam adventure. James Gavin, “Jumping Jim” - the youngest general in the U.S. Army (in 1944 he was 37) with the intelligent appearance of Ryan O'Neal - he will also be famous for his stormy affair with Marlene Dietrich.

British General Brian Horrocks, who is not ashamed to sit behind the wheel of a jeep (unlike the generals of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army with their general's rations, dachas and numerous nobles).

The suicidal crossing of the river under Major Cook's prayer: “Holy Mary, save us!” sticks in my memory.

And I love the episode in which Sgt. Eddie Dogan (James Caan) takes the body of Captain Glass to the hospital, despite the fact that the captain has a hole in his skull, and everyone thinks he is dead, taking the risk of falling right into the clutches of the Germans. Simply because he gave his word to his young and untrained captain that he would stay alive. And the sergeant takes him to the hospital. Deadly tired doctor, accustomed to suffering and loss, seeing such a wound, directly writes the captain in the dead. Only at gunpoint does the sergeant force the doc to perform his duties, and oh-miracle! - the captain lives, he survives the operation, the loyal sergeant smokes his last cigarette. In my opinion, this is the best and most textured role of James Caan.

I would also like to note E. Hopkins, who played the role of Colonel Frost, who got in that ill-fated operation the most difficult - fighting in Arnhem. This is a typical cranky Englishman, imperturbable in grief and in joy, steadfast and persistent in battle. Very organically looks Gene Hackman in the role of Polish General Sosabowski. By the way, this movie restored justice to the Poles, because once the British actively tried to attribute responsibility for their failures to the Polish general and his parachutists.

The only disadvantage of the movie is the German Field Marshal Model, he is portrayed as a complete idiot and a coward. In fact, he was nicknamed “Hitler's Fireman” for his ability to handle the most hopeless and dangerous situations.