A film too good

Rating: 9/10 (5 October 2005)

A Bridge Too Far tells the story of Operation Market Garden, a campaign dreamed up by Montgomery to take a series of bridges over the Rhine that would allow the Allies to invade Germany's industrial zone and thus end World War Two by Christmas 1944.
Suffice to say the mission failed and A Bridge Too Far deals mainly with the failed attempt to take the bridge in Arnhem, Holland.
The film is typical Richard Attenbourgh. It has the feel of David Lean: long shots, dazzling cinematography and an epic length (over four hours). The film also features one of the most stellar casts ever. A virtual who's who of 'seventies cinema, plus a few of Dickie's luvvie mates (Olivier, Bogarde). Admittedly most are not in the film for very long but all make an impact. This is especially true of Robert Redford as he crosses the Rhine shouting "Hail Mary, full of grace!" The two standouts though are Sean Connery and Anthony Hopkins. Connery fully convinces us that he is Roy Urquart, a battle hardened general, a million miles from 007. Hopkins is truly outstanding as a stereotypical British colonel fighting a losing battle. He shows the arrogance and self belief of the officer class and its hard to believe that he went onto be Hannibal Lector.
The film offers an unrelenting view of war. Attenborough pulls no punches. The film has no Saving Private Ryan style effects but somehow is more powerful for having less gore. He also makes sure everyone involved, British, Americans, Poles and Germans, gets an equal amount of treatment. There is none of the trite patriotism that exists in other war films here.
A Bridge Too Far is perhaps the ultimate World War Two film. No glorious victories, no petty heroism, just a clear document of the reality of warfare.