Historical, accurate and engaging - watch it

Rating: 9/10 (28 January 2011)

This was an enormous adaptation by director Richard Attenborough 0f Cornelius Ryan's novel and it features one the largest all-star casts in cinematic history. The film explains the rendering of a daring, but ultimately disastrous, raid behind enemy lines in Holland during the Second World War, what became known as 'Operation Market Garden'. In an effort to end the war sooner, the Allied High Command plans an attack that will drop thousands of paratroopers behind enemy lines and then send the armour (XXX CORPS) in to meet up with them and secure several strategic bridges.
The film boasts an excellent cast full of big name stars such as Dirk Bogarde, James Caan, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Edward Fox, Elliott Gould, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Hardy Kruger, Laurence Olivier, Ryan O'Neal, Robert Redford, Maximilian Schell and Liv Ullmann – just the top line. It secured good reviews at the time and was a modest success at the box office (competing with Star Wars!!). Lord Attenborough however can still look back and know that it was a worthwhile project despite the lack of obvious peer accolades. The film has been criticised by reviewers because has so many stars and, despite runtime, limited character development. I'm sorry but I just can't agree. I found myself easily getting attached to Connery, Caine, Hackman and Hopkins characters.
All the players do a brilliant job – for a film packed with big name stars it has to be said there were no – 'look at me I'm the best' performances – perhaps because they were dealing with such as serious subject. Yet comedy still plays a large part, mostly British 'stiff upper lip stuff' that non brits will not readily identify with. Examples would be Connery's response when asked if he wants a cup of tea or Hopkins batman wondering why he'll need a dinner jacket.
Edward Fox gets a lovely opportunity to show why he's such a good actor with a great speech to his officers (that really occurred). Redford leads a boat crossing reminiscent the charge of the light bridge (but a little more successful) and Connery steals every shot he's in, making you really believe he is Major General Urquhart. Lord Olivier plays a Dutch doctor (well he also has a Danish Knighthood) extremely well and with great sensitivity.
I have to say that it is small details that makes the movie for me, the blood dripping onto the blood beside the child, the brave paratrooper recovering the canister and Liv Ullmann reading to the dying soldier. Beautifully shot with reasonable pace and the increasing sense that this one may unravel means that, at least for this writer, the 3 hours flies by. The sense of hopelessness is nicely described by one of Connery adjutants when he states 'it's hard to stop tanks with rifles and machine guns' after they learnt they've landed on top of two SS Panzer divisions.
There is also a great deal of humour in the movie (most of it slightly off kilter and terribly British). The contrast between Caine and Goulds character, Major Wells with his umbrella, Sean Connerys comment about God being a Scotsman. There are lovely and tragic moments scattered throughout the film which give careful insight into the humour sometimes discovered in combat situations.
A finally note should be made of Attenborough's attention to historical detail. From the weapons they use such as the Piat against the tanks, to the type of house to house street fighting, Major Gen Urquhart getting cut off and the Germans finding the allied plans. Seldom have I know a film that claims to follow a true story that has such rigorous attention to historical events. In order to achieve this they pulled in lots of military and technical advisor's (if you've watched the film you may know some of these names): Frost, Gavin, Gregg, Horrocks, Morgan, Ryan, Urquhart, Vandeleur, Van Eijk.
There is a lovely vignette that during the shooting of Hopkins run between buildings Johnny Frost who retired as a Major General said at one point:
'No no dear boy I don't run like that'
They re-shot the scene twice with Hopkins being covered each time up debris from the explosions. Eventually they kept the original take as the most believable! John Addison's music score will have you humming along for a number of days and the CD is well worth buying. Oh and the Special Edition DVD is out.