It opened in 2003 as part of the german unification project and took its place as europes longest water bridge. The film was issued in the us in june 2015 on bluray and dvd by the criterion collection. The bridge 1959 karl michael balzer and cordula trantow in the bridge 1959 the. Based on actual events, the film is set in the waning days of world war ii as u. Facial features, the mens ragged uniforms, the wartorn towns, and the intricate furnishings of german high command are all on display. In the closing days of world war ii, a small german town comes into focus as u. My brother in arms 2018 world war 2 film project duration. May 10, 2015 the film ends on a lyrical note, as they tearfully sing their former marching song together, flowed by the documentary footage of soldiers returning from the war.
The story was based on an actual event, upon the personal report. The capture of the ludendorff bridge at remagen occurred on march 78, 1945, during the closing stages of world war ii 19391945. In this tv remake of the classic german war film, 16yearold walter and his friends are recruited to help defend a bridge near their town. What begins as a minor op becomes a life or death battle in which the idealistic young men confronted by the brutal reality of war.
A bridge too far recreates operation market garden. Good stuff to be had here with plenty of action along the way. The bridge at remagen film by guillermin 1969 britannica. In an unusual move for the time, french and german actors delivered.
Bernhard wickis 1959 film, adapted from the semiautobiographical novel by manfred gregor the pen name of. Best war movies hollywood adventure movies best adventure movies of all time. This is a powerful antiwar film told from the german perspective. The film ends on a lyrical note, as they tearfully sing their former marching song together, flowed by the documentary footage of soldiers returning from the war. It was chosen because its bridge was similar to the one in remagen. The bridge bernhard wicki s astonishing the bridge was the first major antiwar film to come out of germany after world war ii, as well as the nations first postwar film to be widely shown internationally, even securing an oscar nomination. Spielberg brings humour to the spy thriller genre, while mark rylance and tom hanks add oddcouple chemistry.
A sympathetic officer places the boys as guards of a seemingly unimportant bridge. After a sluggish start, the bridge becomes a war film for. Why this movie isnt just as big as the other big war movies of the 60sthe guns of navarro bridge to far is probably because it was to realistic for the times. Bernhard wickis directorial debut, this is an excellent little film with little plot. American soldiers pleaded with the teenagers in german uniform to just go home. Vice versa the bridge is a little known german novel turned movie set at the end of world war two and tells the true story of seven teenage boys living in germany. In 1959, bernhard wicki made the bridge, germanys first antiwar film since the end of world war ii. The bridge on the river kwai 1957 ending 4k uhd duration. Each of the boys receives a notice from the german army whereby they have to enlist. In the final days of world war ii, german teenagers join the nazi. Filmmakers and perhaps audiences as well were reluctant to confront world war ii and its legacy in the years after the surrender to the allies. Set in september 1944, this film is a superb recreation of the failed operation that could have ended the war by christmas of that year. In this film, a group of evacuees in a resettlement encampment encounter hostility from the people in a nearby town.
The movie was an international success, and received an academy award nomination for best. A bridge too far is a 1977 epic war film based on the 1974 book of the same name, directed by richard attenborough and with a screenplay by william goldman. Based on an actual event fictionalized by gregor dorfmeister in a 1958 novel of the same title, the film tells the story of a small squad of german teenagers who assume the futile task of defending a bridge against the allies in the closing days of world war ii in europe. Bernhard wickis directorial debut, this is an excellent little film with little plot and no known names on the roster. The title originates with a disputed comment attributed to british lieutenant general frederick browning, depu. Levine, it was the second film based on a book by historian cornelius ryan to be adapted for the screen and the second based on the events of world war iis failed operation market garden. Set during the final days of world war ii, and based on a reallife incident, this 1959 german production has been largely forgotten in the states since it lost the foreignlanguage oscar to black orpheus. The bridge, a german war film, arrives story of last futile days intensely told. Bernhard wickis astonishing the bridge was the first major antiwar film to come out of germany after world war ii, as well as the nations first postwar film to be widely shown internationally, even securing an oscar nomination.
With sean connery, ryan oneal, michael caine, laurence olivier. Film grain is intact giving rise to some terrific details. He was a germanamerican officer with a playful side in the book, its mentioned he potshotted at german power transformers while riding in his jeep and respect for authority. Lieutenant hartman in the film is tired and unenthusiastic about the war. Still, it seems odd that germany has never made its own screen adaptation until one learns about the bridge, that is. The bridge is a yugoslavian war picture in which yugoslavian partisans are sent to destroy a bridge that is vital to the occupying german forces. The project was 80 years in the planning and six years in the execution. From this side, there is no pride wrapped up in fighting stalins great. A squad so often volunteerd by their cowardly commanding officer eventually fight for the bridge of the title,with the man from unclesrobert vaughn very good here as the defensive german officer trying to hold the it. The first officer across the bridge was actually lieutenant karl timmermann. It is based on the 1958 novel of the same name by journalist and writer gregor dorfmeister published under the pseudonym manfred gregor.
Vaughn is his german opposite whod rather blow up the bridge than have the americans capture it. Based on cornelius ryans nonfiction book of the same name, the film was shot in many of the actual locations where the reallife events took place, including the pegasus bridge, saintmereelise, and pointe du hoc, and employed more than 20,000 allied troops as extras. In early 1945, american forces pressed towards the west bank of the rhine river during operation lumberjack. It has little in common with bernhard wickis 1959 wellknown film of the same name except its relative time frame. So bottom line, this is an excellent war film which is also a very good and very intelligent antiwar film.
A rare thing which is a must for all amateurs of war movies and also for all. Bridge, the 2008 internet movie firearms database guns. The bridge, directed by bernhard wicki, is now available in bluray. Set during the final days of world war ii, and based on a reallife incident, this 1959 german production has been largely forgotten in the states. In the closing days of world war ii, seven idealistic teenagers are drafted into the hitler youth and sent to defend a bridge against the allied advance.
The 10 greatest second world war films you havent seen. Levine, it was the second film based on a book by historian cornelius ryan to be adapted for the screen after 1962s the longest day and the. The following weapons appear in the film the bridge. The real value of this movie is the contents are presented from.
The bridge 1960 in the waning days of world war ii, as american forces overtake germany, seven teenage boys are pulled from their small towns school as emergency conscripts to repel the. Probably one of the essential and most important antiwar films ever. The bridgedie brucke was released on dvd in the uk, by digital classics dvd, on 19 october 2009 with english subtitles and a bonus film about director bernhard wicki. In the final days of world war ii, german teenagers join the nazi army in a futile attempt to stop the enemy invasion. The bridge 10 min world war 2 short film hd youtube. This film is a rare breeda characterdriven and humane satire.
The long, bloody and merciless bridge fight in this film is a terrific battle scene, one of the best i ever saw. With francois goeske, franka potente, lars steinhofel, robert holler. Bernhard wickis astonishing the bridge was the first major antiwar film to come out of germany after world war ii, as well as the nations first postwar film to be widely shown. In the final days of world war ii, german teenagers join the nazi army in a. American and german tanks drove around the city, and the locals saw hollywood stars dressed in american and german uniforms. Bridge, the 1959 internet movie firearms database guns. With folker bohnet, fritz wepper, michael hinz, frank glaubrecht. The austrian director bernhard wickis feature film debut, the bridge is a riveting drama that tells a relatively simple yet poignant story of a group of seven german schoolboys who, conscripted into the german army during the desperate final days of world war ii, are assigned to defend the titular structure as the allied army advances. The allies attempt to capture several strategically important bridges in the netherlands in the hope of breaking the german lines. It boasts an allstar cast that includes james caan, michael caine, sean connery, edward fox, elliott gould, gene hackman, anthony hopkins, laurence olivier, robert redford, liv ullmann, and the. Set during the final days of world war ii, and based on a reallife incident, this 1959 german production has been largely forgotten in the states since it. Jun 02, 2015 bernhard wickis astonishing the bridge was the first major antiwar film to come out of germany after world war ii, as well as the nations first postwar film to be widely shown. Mar 10, 2016 my brother in arms 2018 world war 2 film project duration. In this, they are assisted by the architect who designed the bridge.
Abandoned by the retreating, demoralized wehrmacht, they slowly lose their idealism as they are left in a life or death battle to survive. Mar 29, 2017 the 10 greatest second world war films you havent seen some lesserknown wartime stories, such as japans the burmese harp and the germanmade generation war, rank alongside the classics jordan. Set during the final months of the war in europe when the germans conscripted teenagers and old men to defend the crumbling reich, the film focuses seven teens who are abandoned by the retreating, demoralized wehrmacht to defend a worthless bridge against advancing. Set near the end of the conflict, it follows a group of teenage boys in a small town as they contend with everyday matters like school, girls, and parents, before. Truckloads of defeated, cynical wehrmacht soldiers flee the approaching american troops, but the boys, full of enthusiasm for the blood and honor nazi ideology, stay to defend the useless bridge. Two towers on the eastern end of a world war ii era bridge immortalized by the 1969 us film the bridge at remagen are up for sale, german authorities confirmed on monday.
Famous wwii remagen bridge towers up for sale news. After a sluggish start, the bridge becomes a war film for the history. Germany after world war ii, as well as the nations first postwar film to be. Its fascinating to see the other side, and the struggles that the germans had to endure through this war. A group of german boys is ordered to protect a small bridge in their home village. Bernhard wickis astonishing the bridge was the first major antiwar film. Bernhard wickis astonishing the bridge was the first major antiwar film to come out of germany after world war ii, as well as the nations first postwar fil. A pioneer is a soldier employed to perform engineering and construction tasks.
After a sluggish start, the bridge becomes a war film for the. The bridge 1959 criterion, bluray, dvd is a landmark film of postwar german cinema. In 1945, germany is being overrun, and nobody is left to fight but teenagers. A bridge too far is a 1977 world war ii film directed by richard attenborough, adapted by william goldman from the bestselling 1974 book of the same name by cornelius ryan the longest day. Filming of the bridge at remagen in czechoslovakia was. This short silent german educational film shows a unit of german pioneers rapidly constructing a pontoon bridge over a river. In response, german forces were ordered to destroy the bridges over the river.
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