'A BRIDGE TOO FAR' - WHEN MASCULINITY MATTERED AT THE MOVIES

Big Hollywood ^ | September 9, 2012 | Brad Schaeffer

[C19fan]

On September 17, 1944 the Dutch sunshine was blotted out by 4,700 aircraft of all types in a stream that stretched ninety-four miles long and three miles wide. It was the largest aerial armada in the history of warfare featuring 35,000 Allied glider and paratroops.

..........................................................

Although a major defeat for the Allies, it did provide a great story for Cornelius Ryan's book "A Bridge Too Far" which director Richard Attenborough and producers Joseph and Richard Levine made into the epic war film of the same name in 1977. It featured an all-star cast that included Robert Redford, Sean Connery, Ryan O’Neal, Gene Hackman, Michael Caine, Anthony Hopkins, Maximilian Schell, James Caan, Elliot Gould and Lawrence Olivier among others.

[98ZJ USMC]

2. “A Bridge to Far” is a pretty good film..but to check out the “Battle of Britain.” When the film was being made, the movie was said to have the THIRD largest air force in the world..

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Counting the R/C models (which were very, very well done), yes. Great movie. I like it better every time I see it. I think there is only one sequence (Stukas colliding) that looked obviously a model. Loved all the acting in BoB.

[98ZJ USMC]

Picked up a copy in the $5.00 bin at Walmart! It may be $7.00 now.

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Still $5.00 and that’s where I got it, too!!

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

The trouble with WWII movies is that they are “entertainment on the edge of horror”, and when they go over the edge into horror, they can be downright traumatic.

Some I can only recommend for those with a very strong constitution.

Fires on the Plain (1959)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053121/

Come and See (1985)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091251/

The Winter War (1989)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098437/

However, one of the most staggering was a documentary series, which to my knowledge only came out on VHS, not DVD.

Soviet Secret Archives: WWII - The Russian Front

It had three volumes. The Soviets were obsessed with filming the war, and some of the footage captured is beyond horror. For example, as the Russians pushed the Germans back, they were greeted with mountains of dead Russian civilians, on which the SS einsatzgruppen had poured fuel oil and set them on fire. In this footage Russian officers are interviewed with three or more such burning mountains are seen in the background.

[CrazyIvan]

“bitty” Love that. I will have to remember to use it.

[353FMG]

>....now every hero has to be a woman, and the woman shows more guts than the guys.....<

.
Cleavage sells more than male heroism, don’t you know?

The buck stops a cleavage.

[dfwgator]

Operation Market Garden was a cluster-you-know-what of the highest order.

[SampleMan]

Very few movies were made of WWII, considering the magnitude of the event. Of those that were done, they are very light on actual combat. Clean, bloodless kills, limited mainly to rifle fire.

I've always assumed that it was a matter of men in their 30s-50s not wanting to revisit too closely the savagery of their youth. Too many painful memories and stories that weren't shared with families. I had a great uncle who fought as a Marine in the Pacific. He once shared his experience with my father, and it was brutal. I very much doubt he shared those stories with his own children.

[wbill]

I read an ancedote about "A Bridge Too Far".... Michael Caine played "Col. J.O.E. Vandeleur" in that scene you talked about.

Prior to the scene, he was supposed to give a rah-rah, flowery, go-get-'em speech to his troops. Fortunately, the real Col. Vandeleur was on set that day, and Caine had the occasion to speak with him, and ask what was said before the attack.

"OK, Let's go." was the reply. And that's what made it into the movie. :-)

[JoeProBono]

[wbill]

I had occasion to watch "The Battle of the Bulge" (that terrible 60's Henry Fonda movie) with my grandfather. He was there "for the original showing, in Technicolor", as he lightly put it.

When it was over, I asked what he thought. He said "It was a fine movie"..... (it wasn't but Grandpa would never say anything bad) ....."But no one looked cold enough".

Ever since, I rate war movies on how absolutely miserable the actors look. "Band of Brothers" was the best I've seen thus far, maybe "Saving Private Ryan" or "The Pacific" as some other good options. I saw part of "Battlefield" late one night on TCM, they got the cold part right, I thought.

Most of the others that I've seen, the actors all look comfortable and well-fed. Maybe a smudge or two of dirt on their clothes, that's about it.

[SkyPilot]

D-Day and Market Garden could not be launched today.....we would be too busy conducting Sensitivity Training....

[Jack Deth]

‘A Bridge Too far’ is one of those WWII flicks I watch on ‘Mute’ during the US Army sequences. And leave the volume up and on for the Brit.

Edward Fox was great in the film as Gen. Horrocks. Also liked Gene Hackman as the Polish paratroop Major.

Still prefer ‘The Battle of Britain’ with its excellent edited model work, Spanish Messserschmitts, Junkers and Dorniers. Also ‘In Which We Serve’, ‘They Were Expendable’ and ‘Objective, Burma!’.

Honorable Mention would include ‘Blackhawk Down’, ‘We Were Soldiers’ and the first thirty minutes of ‘Saving Private Ryan’.

[imardmd1]

I’ve got the DVD of this tale, got to watch it again, now. Hope it’s faithful in detail, not embroidering the facts —

[dfwgator]

D-Day and Market Garden could not be launched today.....we would be too busy conducting Sensitivity Training....

And CNN would already be waiting with cameras on Omaha Beach.

[imardmd1]

Honorable Mention would include ‘Blackhawk Down’, ‘We Were Soldiers’ and the first thirty minutes of ‘Saving Private Ryan’

Yeah, in We Were Soldiers (and Young):
(something like):

Soldier: "Good morning, Sergeant!"

Top kick: "Are you a *&$%ing weatherman?"

Super line! Beats anything in FMJ --

[Dogbert41]

2. “A Bridge to Far” is a pretty good film..but to check out the “Battle of Britain.” When the film was being made, the movie was said to have the THIRD largest air force in the world..

**Counting the R/C models (which were very, very well done), yes. Great movie. I like it better every time I see it. I think there is only one sequence (Stukas colliding) that looked obviously a model. Loved all the acting in BoB.**

Did you guys catch “Red Tails”?

The CGI used was fantastic. The biggest thing I took from that movie was that They can now do any sort of epic battle on the ground or in the air using any sort of equipment from any era.

[dfwgator]

**Counting the R/C models (which were very, very well done), yes. Great movie. I like it better every time I see it. I think there is only one sequence (Stukas colliding) that looked obviously a model. Loved all the acting in BoB.**

"Repeat, please."

[ken5050]

The models were very well done, but I do recall reading somewheres that the actual number of real aircraft did make the movie the 3rd largest air force in the world. Remember, it was made 25 years after WW II..there were hundreds of surplus aircraft still flying then.

I love all those amazing stats...one of my faves is that at the end of WW II, Canada, yes CANADA..had the 3rd largest navy IN THE WORLD..

[Jakarta ex-pat]

For most memorable lines in a war movie...

Zulu!

As for most realistic WW2 movie, my vote would be..

Das Boot

[Vanders9]

There have been some very good WW2 movies, but I agree most of them are very light on the actual combat. But then, the fact is that the actual combat makes up a relatively small proportion of a soldier's time. 99% boredom, 1% horrifying, terrifying heart-pounding action.

Then again I do agree that veterans are often very chary of describing their experiences, and its not just modesty either. My uncle was that way. And he had been at Market Garden.