The Bridges at Toko-Ri
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Movie Reviews of The Bridges at Toko-Ri
Movie Review: As close to actual naval operations as a movie can get!
Summary: 5 Stars
This 1954 movie narrates the story of a few F-9F Panther fighter-bomber pilots of the USS CV-34 Oriskany who must fly a perilous mission against a network of train bridges in North Korean territory during the eponymous conflict. One of the main characters is a mature pilot who "was volunteered" for serving as pilot whereas he is married, has kids and a successful job as a lawyer back in the US. What he gains in maturity is lost to self-control, which leads him to his final demise. The story is thus simple. Although a few scenes do underline the fact that the main character has a full, rich private life, the movie's primarily about the hard life of sea-borne military aircraft pilots during the tough, unforgiving Korean conflict. In itself, the story would not award a 5-star rating to this movie.
However, in terms of documentary on rare aircraft operations, it is like a gold mine for any aviation enthusiast! The main workhorse is the Panther, which is used to conduct unescorted strike missions in support of ground troops deep in Korean territory. Beyond this aircraft, the beginning of the film is marred with footage of some exotic, rare aircraft types such as the Demon and Banshee. Another star of the movie is the Sikorsky H-5 Dragonfly. But most importantly, life onboard the USS Oriskany is faithfully -although certainly a little smoothened...- described with numerous breathtaking scenes of aircraft landing on the aircraft carrier's wooden bridge. Many details are flabbergasting, such as the physical proximity of landing aircraft to parked ones, or the crude danger of flying in the Panther without ejection seat (the type was too early for having been equipped with it), the limited number of available tools and data for preparing and conducting a mission, the little protection US Navy pilots had when attacking a heavily defended ground target etc.
For any military aviation enthusiast, for those seeking information on a rarely tackled war subject, this is a "must-see" movie that will come as a nice addition to any serious aviation movie collection
Movie Review: Where do we get such men?
Summary: 5 Stars
I only tire of the fact that many folks believe this to be an anti war movie. I think it's a war movie. You make your own conclusions. It is possible, I would point out, to not want to go to war, to believe that at this point in our lives as a nation we should have figured out how to avoid it, without labeling movies as "Gung Ho" or anti war. We don't seem to be able to do that, regrettably, so To Ko Ri becomes that much more poignant.
The other area I wrinkle my brow at is the Grace Kelly role. Seems wasted, unecessary. We already know that Harry Brubaker is a decent guy and we don't need carefully angled shots of Grace's not-so-modest bosom to reveal to us that yes, she's a babe and Brubaker loves her.
But the rest of the movie is a portrait of what men and women do at war from 'This Band of Brothers' which is an unbelievably brilliant story by Spielberg and Hanks of the landing/drop at Normandy through Jim Brady's chronicles of Korea to Vietnam to Iraq. They do jobs. The chopper drivers, the CAG, Admiral Tarant, 'Paddles,' it's men and women at work.
The final scene is not a Hollywood ending but it is a real ending. Absolutely brilliant. That there is so much knowledge, compassion and understanding over this forgotten war by the Amazon reviewers and on the Internet impacted somewhat by this movie 52 years later, is a credit to those who saw service there and Michner's excellent novel. I saw this movie as a child. It still puts tears in my eyes. 5 stars. Not enough. Larry Scantlebury
Movie Review: 'Where do we find such men'?
Summary: 5 Stars
I first saw this film shortly after being released in the 1950's. I remember that one of our local movie theaters had a huge bill-board on it's face advertising the movie. Back then as a 'kid', mostly the aerial sequences, and not the 'family tensions' that evolved in the movie captured my attention. Years later, as an adult, the picture took on another meaning, and that 'meaning' is still a force today with our military involved in far-away places, much like Korea was almost 60 years ago. The story is plausible and current: just as during the Korean 'conflict', today, vet's have been called up, and even 're-re-called' to serve. Anyway, back to the movie: William Holden (Brubaker) had been 'called up' after serving during WWII. He is bitter, as he not only has a wife with children, but an established legal career. He 'does his job' as a Naval pilot, and in the end, pays the 'ultimate price' for his efforts. The supporting cast (Grace Kelly, Mickey Rooney, and Fredric March) do a pretty good job, especially March. One of the negative points about the movie: Mickey Rooney, altho doing a very creditable job in the flick, would have never made it as a pilot of ANY aircraft in the service, because of his height. But, then again, Hollywood has been known to take a lot of 'artistic liberties' over the years. Bottom line; this movie is, in a lot of ways, recent and current events. And it couldn't have been said better than Fredric March did at the end: 'Where do we find such men?).Movie Review: Great film watched on a whim thru VoD
Summary: 5 Stars
I watched this film on a whim and used Amazon's Video on Demand service since I wasn't sure I wanted to shell out the money to pay for the DVD. What a great accidental find. This is was an excellent film that gave glimpses into both the technical aspects of naval aviation during the Korean war and military family/leave in Japan during the same. Many visuals and cerain plot elements were repeated in the movie Top Gun, and I'm sure this movie had an influence on the way that one was filmed. Also, we get some definite precursors to Star Wars here, both in terms of directing/filmography and theme/writing. Not that those things are the justifications for watching this film. With compelling characters and a believeable plot and decent writing, I was drawn in. I sort of wish I had the DVD now so I could watch it again.
(As for Amazon's VoD service, it gets a very low score. The video stream kept going out, although we don't have any trouble with Netflix's VoD service, so it's not our connection. Amazon's system also has a difficult user interface, and whenever the connection went out, I had to completely close out of the browser and then start over and FF to where I left off. What a pain!)
Movie Review: Outstanding film
Summary: 5 Stars
The Bridges at Toko-Ri
The Bridges at Toko-Ri is on of the great movies of the genre. William Holden's portrayal of a Naval Aviator during the Korean War is authentic and completely sympathetic. He senses his own doom from the outset. His loyalty is entirely to his country rather than to the war he is reluctantly forced to fight. The film is all about duty, and in many ways it is a very true account of the thousands of American service men who had given their "all" in WWII but were called back into service when the new war began. It also offers a unique and compelling snapshot of the transition years between World War II and Vietnam. We see Japan as it existed just 8 years after the surrender in 1945. For the military historian, it is a visual exploration of the transition from prop to jet aviation, from straight deck to offset deck aircraft carriers. But most importantly, it tells a very simple, sad and heroic story. And if anyone ever wondered what all the fuss was about with Grace Kelly, just watch this film.
One of my five favorite movies ever.