It’s being called one of the best war films of all time(Image: MGM/United Artists)
Saving Private Ryan and The Longest Day are widely considered to be two of the best World War II films to ever hit the big screen, but according to some, audiences are missing out on one “criminally underrated” gem of the genre.
The under-the-radar war epic is often left out of the conversation to make way for some of its more popular counterparts from the era, but now, viewers can’t stop raving about how incredible the historical combat drama is.
The 1977 war epic features a star-studded cast loaded to the brim with A-listers. Some of the acting royalty starring in the film includes 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 round out an insanely talented cast.
Directed by Richard Attenborough, A Bridge Too Far is a war drama of epic proportions — and fans just can’t get enough. With a screenplay penned by William Goldman, the war drama is based on historian Cornelius Ryan’s book of the same name.
Hailed as a ‘cinematic jewel’ and an ‘absolute masterpiece’ by viewers — the film is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
The film is packed with a star-studded A-list cast(Image: Getty Images)
A Bridge Too Far is a co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States, with large chunks of the movie being shot on the real locations in the Netherlands where the movie’s historical events took place.
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 was nominated for eight BAFTAs, of which it bagged four, including Best Supporting Actor for Edward Fox and Best Score for John Addison — a war veteran who had actually served in the British XXX Corps during Operation Market Garden; the real-life WWII event the film is based on. The movie was also a smashing success at the worldwide box-office, earning the title of the sixth-most popular film of 1977.
Audiences can’t stop raving about the ‘masterpiece’ war epic(Image: MGM/United Artists)
The war drama has been hailed by viewers and critics alike, with one reviewer writing it’s “as fine a war epic as you will ever see”, while another critic called it “a gripping bit of cinema”.
A third critic said of the war drama: “Recreates this complicated and tragic military venture with breathtaking sweep, historical accuracy and sober-eyed humanism.”
Viewers can’t stop singing the film’s praises, with one 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 wrote: “Best war movie ever! Great cast, acting and realistic war scenes. This is a must see cinematographic jewel!”
The ‘outstanding’ war epic is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video(Image: Handout)
Lavishing praise on the film, one viewer said: “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!”
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.”
Yet another glowing IMDB 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 one viewer added: “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.