One of the last World War II epics.

Rating: Null/10 (7 June 2003)

Probably as a result of the Vietnam years, an era was coming to an end. The days of the big budget Hollywood epic that focused on historical events were giving way to more personal anti-war movies. Like The Longest Day and Tora Tora Tora, A Bridge Too Far is a mostly true account of one of World War II's major battles. By late 1944, the outcome of the war was not in question, but the way it would be achieved and at what cost still were. Hence, the Allies tried to make a quick push that would break the German Army. Their plan was to seize a major road over several rivers, but as history proved, the plan went "a bridge too far".
That said, this movie is very well-made. It has good production values and seems fairly accurate (very accurate for Hollywood). The all-star ensemble cast is very good with standout performances by Anthony Hopkins as the trapped British commander and James Caan as a American sergeant who won't go back on his word. The cast is rounded out by Dirk Bogarde and Edward Fox (the architects of the operation), Hardy Kruger and Maximillian Schell (German generals), Sean Connery and Michael Caine as a British general, Laurence Olivier as a doctor, Liv Ullman as a Dutch civilian, Gene Hackman as the leader of the Polish brigade, and Elliot Gould, Robert Redford, and Ryan O'Neal as American officers.
The movie has some very suspenseful moments but its ability to compel wavers at times. The movie is also just a little overlong. Some viewers may have a hard time looking past the stars and getting more involved in the plot. Overall, these minor flaws don't detract from the film which is definitely worth seeing, especially for World War II buffs.
*** out of ****