IMDb >
A Bridge Too Far (1977)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsA Bridge Too Far (1977) More at IMDbPro »
| Videos (see all 2 NEW) |
Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
15 June 1977 (USA) moreTagline:
Out of the sky comes the screen's most incredible spectacle of men and war!Plot:
An historic telling of the failed attempt to capture several bridges to Germany in World War II in a campaign called Operation Market-Garden. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
Won 3 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 4 wins & 4 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(3 articles)
"10 Rillington Place" Now At Film Forum, New York (From CinemaRetro. 27 June 2009, 11:04 AM, PDT)
John Ratzenberger Recieves Career Achievement Award From Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival
(From iCelebz. 18 October 2008, 1:26 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Under-rated war epic. more (169 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Dirk Bogarde | ... | Lt. Gen. Frederick A.M. Browning | |
| James Caan | ... | SSgt. Eddie Dohun | |
| Michael Caine | ... | Lt. Col. John O.E. Vandeleur | |
| Sean Connery | ... | Maj. Gen. Robert E. Urquhart | |
| Edward Fox | ... | Lt. Gen. Brian G. Horrocks | |
| Elliott Gould | ... | Col. Robert Stout | |
| Gene Hackman | ... | Maj. Gen. Stanislaw F. Sosabowski | |
| Anthony Hopkins | ... | Lt. Col. John D. Frost | |
| Hardy Krüger | ... | Maj. Gen. Ludwig (as Hardy Kruger) | |
| Ryan O'Neal | ... | Brig. Gen. James M. Gavin | |
| Laurence Olivier | ... | Dr. Jan Spaander | |
| Robert Redford | ... | Maj. Julian Cook | |
| Maximilian Schell | ... | Lt. Gen. Wilhelm Bittrich | |
| Liv Ullmann | ... | Kate Ter Horst | |
| Denholm Elliott | ... | RAF meteorologist officer |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
175 min | Finland:158 minColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 moreCertification:
Iceland:16 | South Korea:12 | New Zealand:PG | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:16 (1977) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Québec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba)Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Dirk Bogarde's portrayal of General Browning was highly controversial, and several friends of the late general suggested that, had Browning still been alive in 1977, he would have sued director Richard Attenborough and screenwriter William Goldman. Although Attenborough publicly took responsibility for the controversy, his relationship with Bogarde was never the same again. moreGoofs:
Continuity: When the boats finally arrive to cross the river at Nijmegen bridge, there is water in them, even though they've been transported for days in trucks in rain-free weather. (Probably a result of previous takes.) moreQuotes:
Field Marshal Model: No reinforcements to Arnhem. Von Runstedt says we will need them for our counter attack.Lt. General Bittrich: Counterattack! With what?
Field Marshal Model: Paratroopers are lightly armed and equipped. They cannot hold out for long. If we can hold up their infantry on the road to Arnhem, they will be forced to surrender
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Fairly OddParents: A Wish Too Far!/Tiny Timmy! (#1.3)" (2001) moreSoundtrack:
3RD MOVEMENT moreFAQ
Was the charactor of Major Fuller (worried Intelligence officer)real or fictitious?Does that dreadful road still exist?
more
more (169 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for A Bridge Too Far (1977) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| The Longest Day | Die Blechtrommel | Valkyrie | Saving Private Ryan | All Quiet on the Western Front |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Action section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |



Quite a few bad things have been written about A Bridge Too Far. Richard Attenborough's elephantine recreation of the battle for several strategically valuable Dutch bridges in the winter of 1944 is a star-studded, lengthy and exhausting film (and many critics at the time seemed to be of the opinion that it collapsed beneath its own weight). Almost thirty years on, the film is now viewed somewhat more favourably. It may feel 30 minutes too long, and the need for so many stars in so many tiny parts is questionable, but A Bridge Too Far successfully shows a fierce episode of the Second World War in all its chaotic glory. Incredibly, there's no use of the computer generated effects during the big battle scenes that it is relied upon in modern films like Gladiator and Troy. The scenes in this film were shot pretty much as you see them - so the 35,000 parachutists storming Holland, the river crossing led by Robert Redford under intense enemy fire, and other such staggering combat sequences were filmed with thousands of extras and a good deal of meticulous planning and preparation.
The film is based upon Operation Market Garden, an Allied plot hatched towards the end of 1944 with the intention of ending the war in Europe. The concept behind the plan was to drop 35,000 soldiers into Holland approximately 60 miles beyond the German lines, to seize six vital bridges, and to reinforce the paratroopers by sending in thousands of ground troops. However, various mishaps jeopardised the mission and eventually the Allies were cut off and had to withdraw, suffering severe losses.
As stellar casts go, A Bridge Too Far still takes some rivalling. Among the many famous actors involved, these are just a few: Sean Connery, Robert Redford, Laurence Olivier, Dirk Bogarde, James Caan, Ryan O'Neal, Gene Hackman, Michael Caine, Anthony Hopkins and Elliott Gould. It seems pointless for some of the actors to be cast in these roles - true enough, Connery, Bogarde and Hopkins get decent roles and a fair bit of screen time, but was it really worth paying Redford $2,000,000 for his ten minute heroics? Could a decent actor have not handled the role for a fraction of that amount? Is Gene Hackman really the correct choice for Polish officer Major General Stanislaw Sosabowski? Should a light comic actor like Elliott Gould be doing his cigar-chomping "fun" turn in a movie as serious as this?
Luckily, the film is a big success on other levels. The cinematography is extraordinary; the music is suitably stirring; the potentially confusing story is handled with clarity and true-to-the-facts sensitivity; and amid the chaos a number of very memorable scenes emerge. A Bridge Too Far is a very good war film - maybe the biggest war film ever conceived (The Longest Day and Saving Private Ryan included) - and I feel that, although it has a few casting flaws, it is in almost every other department a great, great achievement.