An all time classic war too

Rating: 8/10 (17 April 2012)

It is rare that Hollywood makes a war movie about a disastrous campaign, and yet A bridge too far is just that and more. If you love epic war movies like Midway, The Longest Day or Battle of the Bulge, then this is for you.
Directed by Richard Attenborough, and scripted by William Goldman,based on Cornelius Ryan's best seller.Bridge delivers all that you need from a good war film such as courage, bravery and sacrifice. Boasting an all star cast that includes Michael Caine, James Caan,Sean Connery,Dirk Bogarde, Robert Redford and Elliot Gould, this is a must see.
The film focuses on the attempt by the Allies in 1944 to end the war by capturing key bridges in Holland and then advancing into Germany. It was an audacious plan, devised by Field Marshall Montgomery who believed that the Germans were near collapse. The plan, named Operation Market Garden, required a three airborne divisions to capture and hold the bridges long enough so that a mechanised army can relieve them. It was the largest airborne drop in history. It would have been an amazing victory had it succeeded.
Needless to say, it all goes terribly wrong. The film does not hold back in depicting the mistakes of the Allies from bad intelligence, massive egos ,poor planning and down right incompetence. The film also shows the thinking from the German side, and also we get the point of view of he Dutch people.
My favourite scene is the attempt by Major Julian Cook, played by Redford to capture Nijmegen Bridge by a river crossing. The paratroopers are subjected to merciless barrage of machine guns and mortars by the Germans.
A mark of a classic is that you can watch time and again, and still be entertained.Bridge delivers in spades.