Review of A Bridge Too Far (1977) by James M — 05 Jan 2015

"A Bridge Too Far" might be a few minutes too long, but that doesn't stop it from being a powerful, borderline subversive war film. The film could have been made more emotionally potent had its plethora of plots been tightened somewhat (James Caan's character, good as his performance is, is completely unnecessary) but the cumulative impact undercuts the traditional gung-ho of Hollywood war pictures, emphasizing the price paid in blood for military disasters. "Bridge" reminds me of a less philosophical/artistic "Thin Red Line", hitting on many of the same themes, but lacking the beautiful emotional and spiritual core that elevated Malick's similarly paced and ambling war film.

In the same way as Malick, however, director Attenborough punishes his audience with the true to history calamities that befell the Allied forces during Operation Market Garden, with some of the finest World War II battle sequences put to film. The cinematography is remarkable, one German charge to retake a bridge is particularly memorable, as well as the initial British tank charge. Sean Connery turns in a wonderful performance, and several other big name stars have notable cameos (Robert Redford's is affecting).

Unfortunately, "Bridge's" occasionally unfocused storytelling undercuts the propulsive sense of impending doom in the last act, and some tighter editing would have done the film well (it goes straight past a perfect and haunting final shot, with a chilling hymn rendition, to continue to a far less affecting final shot) but regardless, "Bridge" is a bleak and provocative war film that, despite its flaws, draws dramatic and powerful attention to the often tragic futilities and arrogance of man during war.