Lavish, gritty, engrossing

Rating: 10/10 (11 November 2000)

This is a sombre, bloody, and lavish account of the failed Market Garden operation by the Allies. It details how things fell apart for the Allies despite significant planning and commitment. The dramatic, epic unravelling of this great attempt to secure the North in hopes of establishing a port for communications will probably be lost on some people (eg. the Maltin review) as it tells the story from the point of view of the various nationalities involved, perhaps confusing less attentive or interested viewers.
The movie differs from "The Longest Day", for example, by being very bloody, and pointedly shows the Allies taking it on the chin. The ugly reality of defeat is on display in this very un-Hollywood movie. The sense of fear from the soldiers - including generals - is communicated, which is wasn't nearly as well in "The Longest Day". These are clearly individuals, not just the generic movie GIs.
Look for all the subtle Attenborough touches in this movie: eg. the faint "help me, help me" of a dying soldier forgotten on the rivers edge in a nearly motionless and soundless scene, an immediate counterpoint to the frenentic depiction of Robert Redford's "Hail Mary" river crossing. Or the shovels of dirt, containing spent bullet cartridges, being used to bury a soldier. This is a movie with gritty real-world texture, and a great ode to the suffering of the brave fighting men who took part.