A Bridge Too Far (2 Viewers)

Flyboy

Flyboy

Private 1st Class
Joined
Aug 22, 2013
Messages
190
I have been racking my brains to find out what is my favorite war movie. I watched a vast amount of them lately and I have to say it must be,

A Bridge Too Far.


I would ask of you who was your favorite actor portraying a roll in this movie and why?

My top seven are listed below and I am trying to narrow it down.

1. LT. General "Bob, Boy or Tommy" Fredrick Browning. DIRK BOGARDE
2. Maj. General Roy Urquhart. SEAN CONNERY
3. Major Harry Carlisle.
4. Light Colonel John Frost. ANTHONY HOPKINS
5. LT. General Brian Horrocks. EDWARD FOX
6. Light Colonel Joe Vandeleur. MICHAEL CAINE
7. General " Jumping Jim" James Gavin. Ryan O'Neal

One of my votes is the musical score by Jon Addison an academy award winner and former member of thirty corps.

Mike
 
In my opinion Edward Fox as Horrocks absolutely steals this ensemble movie with his part. Thought so when I first saw the movie in the theaters in 1977 and haven't changed my mind all these years later. Just a brilliant reading of that part. -- Al
 
Well

A big aplause for the special effect
The gun bombing in the forest.. it's frightening
 
It is not my favorite war movie but I do like it well enough. For me, Gene Hackman gives the most compelling performance as the highly skeptical and correct Polish Major General Sosabowski. Edward Fox is also excellent but I just don't like the character he plays. Dirk Bogarde, Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins and Michael Caine are also all very good in their roles.
 
While I have always liked this movie, I was disappointed in the American characters/actors. I just didn't buy into them. Redford, Gould, O'Neil, and Caan are all fine actors but for whatever reason, writing, interpretation of the part, or what have you, they just didn't come across nearly as well as their British counterparts. Connery, Caine, Bogarde, Fox, and Hopkins all took their parts and ran with them and the results were excellent. I thought Hackman was great as Sosabowski and Olivier fine, as usual. The Americans just didn't convince me, though that could be because the main thrust of the story is British, thus the best parts and lines were theirs because that was the story. In the end, it is still a very good war movie. -- Al
 
LANCER:

I totally agree---the US actors pale in comparison to the UK counterparts. Anthony Hopkins stands out as the best in the movie and Sean Connery gives his usual impressive performance.
But, Ryan O'Neal is guilty of over-acting as Gen. Gavin, while Robert Redford and James Caan seem bored in their roles. Elliott Gould's fictional role which was written to add humor to the movie should never have been included.
Steve McQueen was originally offered the role of Maj. Julian Cook, but his contract demands were excessive, so the role went to Redford. I would like to see what McQueen could have done with the role.
I have the original and remastered soundtracks of A BRIDGE TOO FAR---the remastered version sounds fantastic and is a big improvement over the original.
This is the 69th anniversary of Operation Market Garden (if my math is correct), so I'll be watching it again on Blu-ray this week.
 
Last edited:
Dirk Bogarde - suave, urbane, understated and perfect acting in disclaiming responsibility.

Rgds Victor
 
lancer said:
While I have always liked this movie, I was disappointed in the American characters/actors. I just didn't buy into them. Redford, Gould, O'Neil, and Caan are all fine actors but for whatever reason, writing, interpretation of the part, or what have you, they just didn't come across nearly as well as their British counterparts. Connery, Caine, Bogarde, Fox, and Hopkins all took their parts and ran with them and the results were excellent. I thought Hackman was great as Sosabowski and Olivier fine, as usual. The Americans just didn't convince me, though that could be because the main thrust of the story is British, thus the best parts and lines were theirs because that was the story. In the end, it is still a very good war movie. -- Al
Click to expand...
Yes now that you mention it, apart from Hackman, who played a Pole, the American actors were really outdone by their British counterparts in this movie.
 
I always thought the German actor who played(i think it was) bittrich was really good,.i always remember the sentence ...'Ja? Nein, Field Marshall Model!' Haha:-D

Scott
 
arnhem44mad said:
I always thought the German actor who played(i think it was) bittrich was really good,.i always remember the sentence ...'Ja? Nein, Field Marshall Model!' Haha:-D

Scott
Click to expand...
That actor was Maximilian Schell. He won an Academy Award for Judgement at Nuremberg. He has also been in such excellent movies as Cross of Iron, The Odessa File, and The Young Lions. He is a good one. -- Al
 
SS Brigade Fuhrer Ludwig played by Hardy Krueger. He is a typical SS Officer on the move and wants to blow up the Bridge in Arhem. Though receive an order from SS Gruffenfuhrer Bittrich of not blowing it....klar... Ludwig intent anyway....:salute::
 
A Bridge Too Far has to be one of the top 3 WWII movies of all time. A top notch quality film IMO. I have it on DVD and watch it usually twice a year ^&grin
 
tsukaiban said:
SS Brigade Fuhrer Ludwig played by Hardy Krueger. He is a typical SS Officer on the move and wants to blow up the Bridge in Arhem. Though receive an order from SS Gruffenfuhrer Bittrich of not blowing it....klar... Ludwig intent anyway....:salute::
Click to expand...
Hardy Kruger is another good actor who has done such movies as Barry Lyndon and the 1978 film The Wild Geese, with Richard Burton. ^&cool -- Al
 
lancer said:
Hardy Kruger is another good actor who has done such movies as Barry Lyndon and the 1978 film The Wild Geese, with Richard Burton. ^&cool -- Al
Click to expand...

Al I'm glad you mentioned The Wild Geese...one of my all time favourites ^&cool

Cheers

Martyn:)
 
GICOP said:
Al I'm glad you mentioned The Wild Geese...one of my all time favourites ^&cool

Cheers

Martyn:)
Click to expand...
Hi Martyn. It is one of mine, as well. For some reason it doesn't get shown over here on regular or cable TV. It has been years since I have seen it. It has one of the finest casts ever assembled for an action movie with Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris, Hardy Kruger, Stewart Granger, Jack Watson, Barry Foster, Kenneth Griffith, and more. Just a fantastic story as well. I think Richard Harris stole the movie.:wink2: -- Al
 
lancer said:
Hi Martyn. It is one of mine, as well. For some reason it doesn't get shown over here on regular or cable TV. It has been years since I have seen it. It has one of the finest casts ever assembled for an action movie with Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris, Hardy Kruger, Stewart Granger, Jack Watson, Barry Foster, Kenneth Griffith, and more. Just a fantastic story as well. I think Richard Harris stole the movie.:wink2: -- Al
Click to expand...

Hi Al

I've got it on DVD....so I'm gonna watch it tomorrow along with Tears of the Sun, maybe followed by Dark of the Sun :wink2: Marie is off shopping with our daughter and grandson so I have the DVD and TV all to myself ^&grin

Cheers

Martyn:)
 
GICOP said:
Hi Al

I've got it on DVD....so I'm gonna watch it tomorrow along with Tears of the Sun, maybe followed by Dark of the Sun :wink2: Marie is off shopping with our daughter and grandson so I have the DVD and TV all to myself ^&grin

Cheers

Martyn:)
Click to expand...
Those are another set of good movies. Tears of the Sun is a very under-rated show. Add in Dogs of War and spend the day in Afrika.^&grin -- Al
 
lancer said:
Those are another set of good movies. Tears of the Sun is a very under-rated show. Add in Dogs of War and spend the day in Afrika.^&grin -- Al
Click to expand...

Excellent idea Al :salute::

Cheers

Martyn:)
 
Thanks for all the posts to this movie thread. I agree that the British actors took this movie by storm. So many great performances. Mike
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 3 (members: 0, guests: 3)
Community platform by XenForo® © 2010-2024 XenForo Ltd.
Back
Top