A Bridge Too Far [2 Discs] [Blu-ray/DVD] [1977]

In my opinion, the best war movie ever made -- a notch better than "Saving Private Ryan," which contains certain historical inaccuracies. "A Bridge Too Far" masterfully adapts Cornelius Ryan's meticulously-researched book of the same title. More importantly, with the exception of the German tanks and armored personnel carriers depicted in the failed attempt to capture the northern end of the Arnhem bridge, the uniforms, machine guns, rifles, tanks, landscape, etc. depicted in the film are accurate -- unlike the vast majority of war films that cut corners, film off location, fail to research key facts, etc. The "second Omaha Beach" crossing of the Waal River by the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division -- filmed on loaction -- is the most riveting scene in the movie. Also spectacular is the reenactment of the dropping of hundreds of paratroopers over Holland from C-47 Dakotas. The only negative is that the movie can be quite confusing to one who is not familiar with the intricacies of Operation Market Garden. I urge anyone considering viewing the film to first read "Arnhem 1944" by Martin Middlebrook or Cornelius Ryan's above-mentioned book. Some research will help put this complicated military operation into perspective. After you've seen the movie, and if you have the time, money and inclination, take a battlefield tour of Nijmegen and Arnhem (both just an hour-or-so drive from Amsterdam) so you can truly appreciate the sacrifices made by the British, American, and Polish paratroopers depicted in the film nearly 55 years ago.

"A Bridge to Far", is the retelling of Operation, "Market Garden", an operation in World War II that was larger than the Normandy Invasion, "Operation Overlord", better known to most people as D-Day. If successful this operation would have brought the war with Germany over by Christmas of June 1944, just a little over 6 months after D-Day occurred. However, as the title says the planners overextened theirselves by going a bridge to far and the operation failed. While a student in the Army's Command and General Staff school, the instructors used this movie to show how many minor mistakes added up to cause a major failure of an operation. This movie is a must for students of military history even though it was panned by the critics when it was released. However, I would highly recommend this movie to anyone that likes war movies! COL Robert E. Gardner

A Bridge Too Far is one of those rare, older WW2 films that actually attempts some semblance of historical accuracy by portraying the events as they were described by both the Allies and Germans during Operation Market Garden. The setting for the film revolves around Operation Market Garden and the ill-fated conclusion of the Allies defeat at Arnhem, by a series of follies and planning in which as the film title says, tried to attempt an Allied "bliztzkrieg" to capture a series of bridges along a narrow front. In other words, it was a bridge too many and the goals were far too ambitious.

Grueling and yet very challenging to try and capture a bridge behind enemy lines with not a whole lot of firepower on your side. This is one film I remember watching when I was a child and was hooked. A lot of brave men and women who served in WWII that helped make this film. Definitely worth adding to your WWII collection.

Mankind can come up with the best showings of courage, strength, and caring, when thrown into the insanity of war. I've read the book a couple of times (highly recommend before watchi8ng the movie), and have seen the movie several time. While you marvel at the endurance of everyone in the movie (men, women, and children), it also brings into very sharp focus the brutality and insanity of war. This is not a movie for the timid. But, it does show honor and courage that comes out of love of country, love of God, and love for your fellow soldiers.

One best and oldest way films out there! Alec Guinness is one of Hollywoods greatest actors and this is a definition of his work. Also being a true story makes it even better!

This is on my list of the top 10 war movies I love to watch! The Blu-ray copy of this movie is excellent making the visuals and audio soundtrack even better than when I first saw this in the theater. A must have if you’re a fan of Great War movies!

This movie is filled with a star studded cast that bring to life Operation MARKET GARDEN, a disaster that occurred in the race to secure the Netherlands after D-Day. The film accurately depicts the frustration of the US Airborne forces as they watch the trapped British & Polish Airborne forces located in Arnhem get decimated, due to poor intelligence prior to the operation and conventional mechanized/motorized forces maneuvering only when all the pieces are in place.