Superb WW2 drama

Rating: 9/10 (13 May 2016)

The true story of Operation Market Garden, the Allies' attempt, in September 1944, to hasten the end of WW2 by driving through Belgium and Holland into Germany. The idea was for two US airborne divisions to take the towns of Eindhoven and Nijmegen and a British airborne division, reinforced by a Polish airborne brigade, to take the town of Arnhem. They would be reinforced, in due course and in turn, by the British XXX Corps, land-based and driving up from the British lines in the south. The key to the operation was the bridges, as if the Germans held or blew them, the paratroopers could not be relieved. Faulty intelligence, Allied high command hubris and stubborn German resistance would ensure that Arnhem was a bridge too far.
A very well made film on one of WW2's more controversial operations. The movie captures well the scale of the endeavour and the heroism and resourcefulness involved. While most of the scenes are from the Allied side we also see the German command's perspective, and thus the strategic situation.
Very realistic and historically accurate.
Incredible cast, probably the greatest whose-who of actors ever assembled for one movie: Sean Connery, Laurence Olivier, Gene Hackman, Robert Redford, Anthony Hopkins, Dirk Bogarde, Michael Caine, Ryan O'Neal, Edward Fox, James Caan, Maximilian Schell, Hardy Kruger, Liv Ullman, Elliott Gould, Denholm Elliott. Can't fault any of the performances though the salary bill must have been huge!
A must-see for anyone interested in history and/or for lovers of realistic, accurate war movies.