Product: An Occurence At Owl Creek Bridge (1962- FRANCE)
Rating: 5.0
A twist (in the wind) ending
Besides his famousDEVIL'S DICTIONARY, San Francisco newpaperman Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (1842-1914) wrote many supernatural and Civil War short stories. AN OCCURENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE is best-known of the latter. This French-made short film (28 mins.) of that tale was required viewing in high schools back in the 1960s.The story opens with Confederate sympathizer Peyton Farquhar being executed by hanging from the titled river span. He's pushed, falls, the rope snaps and Peyton lands in the water, unharmed. He manages to free his hands, untie his bound feet and safely escape from a barrage of rifle fire.For a day and night Farquhar flees through an endless forest in the general direction of home-- some 30 miles distant. All through this taxing journey he thinks about wife and kids. Peyton begins to imagine strange sights and noises, and is convinced that he dozes even while walking. After coming to full consciousness near his home, Farquhar runs (in stunning slow motion) with arms outstretched toward his wife. He suddenly feels a blinding pain in the back of his neck...The literary device central to "Owl Creek Bridge" has been reused in many films.JACOB'S LADDER(1990) andCARNIVAL OF SOULS(1962) are just two of these.Licensee of this indie transfer, VIDEO YESTERYEAR (along with RADIO YESTERYEAR) is a specialty company located in Sandy Hook, CT. Since the 1970s this outfit has been a provider of vintage radio and TV shows, also obscure or historically significant films.Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 viewer poll rating found at a film resource website.(8.3) An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge (France-1962) - Roger Jacquet/Anne Cornaly/Anker Larsen/Stéphane Fey/Jean-Franois Zeller/Pierre Danny/Louis Adelin