The Bridge at Remagen
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ben Gazzara, Bradford Dillman, E.G. Marshall, George Segal, Robert VaughnBrand: Sony
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Color, DVD, Letterboxed, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 115 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2000-02-29
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Movie Reviews of The Bridge at Remagen
Movie Review: Best war film of the 1960s
Summary: 5 Stars
A reviewer below rates this as a 5 but for the music; I disagree, I thought the soundtrack was absolutely appropriate for this film.
But to start from the beginning; this is a fictionalized version of the true story set out by Ken Heckler in his book of the same name. The story does manage to stick close to the established facts: in March 1945, a small group of men from the 27th Armored Infantry, part of 9th Armored Division, managed to seize by fluke the last standing bridge over the River Rhine. This movie focusses on the fighting leading up to the bridge seizure, the initial German counter-attacks, and the aftermath for the German commanders on the scene.
The film does a wonderful job of exploring both sides of the issue; the main US characters are the battalion commander, a weary company commander played by Segal in a very good performance, one of his sergeants played by Ben Gazzara, and a trio of German field-grade officers charged with defending the bridge, against the wishes of the supreme command who wants the bridge destroyed. There are other minor characters sprinkled throughout the story as well.
Technically, everything on the screen is vintage World War Two with very, very minor exceptions as far as uniforms go, that are so minor as to not be worth telling. The real battle saw a somewhat different mix of equipment - M26 Pershing tanks, for example, rather than the M24s shown on screen - but again, what was actually on hand is photographed very effectively and realistically.
The pace of the movie is brisk, the dialogue is gritty and realistic without being offensive to sensitive ears; the single use of the "f" word is notably toned down on the audio track and is only mouthed by Gazzara. This does not detract from the realism either, but does make the movie appropriate for family viewing, or would do if not for the obligatory bare breast scene, though this is very brief and should not deter most parents.
Every scene in the movie builds character and there is no phony use of jargon or situations solely for their own sake. There are only two extraneous scenes; the scene mentioned above with a female refugee, and a highly unlikely assault on a river barge.
The film leaves the viewer with many questions about duty and war, and is an excellent tool for discussion of these themes. There are no heroics in the film, though almost all of the characters on both sides display their own forms of bravery and devotion to duty.
All in all, this film captures very well the "feel" of the closing days of the war - the weariness of the Allies and the desperation of the Germans.
Music is typical 1960s fare but well suited, with a strong German-sounding march that effectively announces the 'bad guys'.
As outstanding as Segal is Robert Vaughn, with a nice aristocratic German officers' accent, but none of the other usual stereotypical trappings - monocle, fake arm, etc.
Quite possibly one of the best - and least well known - WW II movies ever filmed.
Summary of The Bridge at Remagen
An all-star castincluding George Segal, Robert Vaughn, Ben Gazzara and E.G. Marshallbrings all the glory and agony of war to stunning life in this intense and exhilarating, but uniquely human, look at a struggle widely regarded as the most strategic coup of World War II. "Excellent special effects, spectacular photography and fine action sequences" (Motion Picture Exhibitor) put you on the front lines of the battle and with the courageous soldiers who fought it. 1945: The Allies are making their final advance into German territory, and only one strategic bridge on the Rhine River remains in Nazi hands. Both sides have much to gain: the Germans, the lives of 50,000 soldiers stationed on the wrong side of the bridge; and the Allies, a quicker end to the war with fewer lives lost. Though both armies would fight valiantly, only one could win the heart-rending battle for The Bridge at Remagen.Fine casting, rugged characters, and authentic military detail make The Bridge at Remagen one of the best World War II action films of the 1960s. Based on actual incidents during the final Allied advance on Germany in March 1945, the story focuses on the U.S. Army's exhausted 27th Armored Infantry, assigned to seize the bridge at Remagen, on the Rhine River, to prevent 50,000 German troops from retreating to safety. Lieutenant Hartman (George Segal) leads the mission, while a Nazi major (Robert Vaughan) defies orders by attempting to hold the bridge instead of blowing it up. With strong emphasis on war's harsher realities, the film features compelling characters who illustrate the camaraderie of survivors and the heroism of mavericks in the thick of battle. Segal and Ben Gazzara effectively convey a hard-won friendship, and the film's dynamic action (filmed in Czechoslovakia and Italy) never overwhelms the story's emotional impact. Highly recommended. --Jeff Shannon
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