A Bridge Too Far (Special Edition) (DVD) > Reviews > a tragic battle and excellent movie

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Good
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Outstanding
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	all star cast historical realism
Disadvantages:	an epic

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I am a a big fan of war movies and I can claim I have seen the vast majority of them, so it is no small claim when i say this is my favourite. The reasons for this are plentiful, mostly because it is very accurate in historical terms and this is due in large part to the amount of research by Richard Attenborough. During filming they consulted with veterans of the actual battle, immensely adding to the credability of the film. Further to this the vehicles used were surviving models from the Second World War rather than replicas.
The effects in the film are stunning being filmed before the age of cgi and other special effects technology, they relied upon pure realism. That is the German vehicles that attacked the Paras over Arnhem bridge were actually burnt out during filming, you cant get more real or special than that.
The cast is outstanding both in terms of reputation and acting, so many great names Caine, Connery, Caan, Hopkins, Fox, Hackman etc. etc.
It is very refreshing to see a war movie that dares to cover a battle such as this where the Allies do not win (and in fact it is probably the greatest mistake of Montgomery's career) and a great resounding victory is not the central theme of the picture. An excellent movie if you like war films in the slightest you will enjoy this and if you like epics you'll be in love.
My reccomendation watch this film.

The extras included with this dvd are two documentaries about the making of the movie, an interview with Richard Attenborough interviews with US veterans of the battle and a photo gallery.
The documentaries are very interesting and informative, without going into too much detail, they explain the difficulty in filming such a vast and complex movie. The major themes are Joseph Levine's (the producer) sheer determination to complete the movie to his exacting standards, his own personal contribution (26 million dollars) which made it the most expensive production of its time.
Other subjects disscussed were the difficulty in filming and finding sets. There are many accounts fro veterans that vouch for the authenticity of the production.
In short,the extras add to the movie and can only help you appreciate the sheer vastness of the production. I really enjoyed them.