The film is packed with a star-studded A-list cast (Image: Getty Images)
Saving Private Ryan and The Longest Day are broadly regarded as two of the finest Second World War films ever to grace the silver screen, yet according to some, audiences are overlooking one “criminally underrated” gem of the genre.
This under-the-radar war epic is frequently omitted from discussions in favour of its more celebrated contemporaries, but viewers are now singing its praises and cannot stop raving about how extraordinary this historical combat drama truly is.
The 1977 war epic boasts a stellar ensemble cast packed with A-list talent. Among the acting legends featuring in the film are Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Robert Redford, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Dirk Bogarde, James Caan, Edward Fox, and Elliott Gould, who are joined by Hardy Krüger, Laurence Olivier, Ryan O’Neal, Maximilian Schell and Liv Ullmann to complete an exceptionally gifted line-up.
Directed by Richard Attenborough, A Bridge Too Far is a war drama of truly monumental scale – and audiences simply cannot get enough. Featuring a screenplay crafted by William Goldman, the war drama is adapted from historian Cornelius Ryan’s book of the same name.
Celebrated as a ‘cinematic jewel’ and an ‘absolute masterpiece’ by viewers, the film is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, reports Wales Online.
The ‘outstanding’ war epic is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video (Image: MGM/United Artists)
A Bridge Too Far is a joint production between the United Kingdom and the United States, with substantial portions of the film shot on the actual locations in the Netherlands where the depicted historical events unfolded.
The war drama’s official plot states: “Late in 1944, the Allies seem to have the upper hand in the European land war. A combined British and American paratrooper force, led by American general Gavin and British general Urquhart (Sean Connery), plans to take a highway leading from the Netherlands into Germany, so that British ground troops led by Lieutenant General Horrocks (Edward Fox) and Lieutenant Colonel Vandeleur (Michael Caine) can enter enemy territory. But the Allies soon learn that they may be overconfident.”
A Bridge Too Far received eight BAFTA nominations, clinching four awards, amongst them Best Supporting Actor for Edward Fox and Best Score for John Addison — a war veteran who had himself served in the British XXX Corps during Operation Market Garden, the real-life Second World War event upon which the film is based. The picture also proved a resounding triumph at the global box office, securing its place as the sixth-highest grossing film of 1977.
The war drama has garnered widespread acclaim from both audiences and critics, with one reviewer declaring it “as fine a war epic as you will ever see”, while another described it as “a gripping bit of cinema”.
Audiences can’t stop raving about the ‘masterpiece’ war epic (Image: MGM/United Artists)
A third critic said of the war drama: “Recreates this complicated and tragic military venture with breathtaking sweep, historical accuracy and sober-eyed humanism.”
Audiences simply cannot stop heaping praise upon the film, with one viewer writing: “One of the greatest war films ever put to screen. With an all-star cast, the complaints about it being too long are unwarranted, as the build up and story is fully required. An all-time great!”.
Another fan said: “Bar none – the best historical war movie ever. All real planes, real parachute drops, real artillery and real tanks. The cast is unbelievable. The action is fantastic.”
While one viewer said: “Best war movie ever! Great cast, acting and realistic war scenes. This is a must see cinematographic jewel!”.
Showering the film with admiration, one viewer added: “A pure masterpiece! If you want to watch a SERIOUS WAR EPIC DRAMA, this is the film for you. The film is REMARKABLE. It portraits PERFECTLY the actual events, the TRUE characters that actually took place, the major battles, the suffering, the drama, the sacrifice. A film you won’t forget, ever!”
It’s being called one of the best war films of all time (Image: MGM/United Artists)
While another audience review on IMDB reads: “An unmatched epic. Since I first saw it over thirty years ago, A Bridge Too Far remains one my favourite films of all time. In addition to the all-star cast that provides the right amount of weight to the characters, the fact that director Richard Attenborough was able to put together the vast and well-choreographed combat scenes with such accuracy remains excellent viewing today as it was back when the film was made. It still stands high today, and remains in many ways an unmatched classic.”
One glowing IMDB user review says: “An Absolute War Masterpiece. I cannot believe I never knew about this astounding war movie. A Bridge Too far is an excellent, excellent film with a very tight plot, superb suspense and very strong message, without a the typical modern-day sweet happy end.”
While another fan said: “This might be the greatest war movie ever made. Director Richard Attenborough and company created a borderline masterpiece with A Bridge Too Far. The all-star cast is also terrific. They all give outstanding performances. There is no weak link. A Bridge Too Far is funny, exciting, scary, emotional and heartbreaking. It is a criminally underrated film.”
A Bridge Too Far is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
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