MovieChat Forums > A Bridge Too Far (1977) Discussion > Do I have the plot right? SPOILER warni...

Do I have the plot right? SPOILER warning, I guess.

posted 8 years ago by webbrl-177-543920
6 replies | jump to latest

Watched this for the first time in nearly 40 years last night, with my dad. His uncle was Orin Haugen, who served with General Gavin before taking the 511 PIR to the South Pacific. Los Banos!!!

Anyway, we kept wishing for captions at the start of each action sequence telling us which troops we were watching at which bridge. Now I'm trying to piece together what the movie shows. Basically, it seems to focus on three bridges (Son, Nijmegen, and Arnhem).

1. Son - assigned to the US 101st Airborne. Action shows Elliot Gould as Colonel Stout, building a Bailey Bridge after the Germans blow up Son just as Gould's troops arrive to capture it. 30 Corps provides the Bailey Bridge components, the bridge is built, 30 Corps crosses it and moves on.

2. Nijmegen-assigned to the US 82nd Airborne. Action shows Ryan O'Neal as General Gavin, injured during drop such a long way from the bridge. He tasks Major Julian Cook (Robert Redford) to lead troops across the river (in canvas boats provided by 30 Corps) because the best way to capture a bridge is both ends at once. The crossing is brutal because delays force them to go in broad daylight. The bridge is captured and 30 Corps crosses it and moves on.

3. Arnhem-assigned to British 1st Airborne. Actions shows General Urquhart (Sean Connery) and later Colonel Frost (Anthony Hopkins) trying to take the bridge from German Panzar divisions 'resting up' on the other side. Bridge is never captured. Some Allied soldiers escape, some are taken prisoner.

Correct?

Follow-up questions:
A. Who was in charge of 30 Corps?
B. Which wounded troops took refuse in Kate/Liv Ullman's house?
C. Which general did Stout work for?
D. What's the hymn being sung while the planes fly over the church? I've heard it in Foyle's War, too.

Thanks.

[–] TheGoodMan19 8 years ago

A. Lt. General Brian Horrocks (Edward Fox in the film) commanded British XXX Corps. An very good General, one of the best British field commanders. Horrock's memoir A Full Life is one of the best WWII memoirs. Edward Fox got to know Horrocks and insisted of portraying his as factually as possible.

C. Elliott Gould's character was based on Col. Robert Sink, commander of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The regiment was a part of the 101st Airborne Division, commanded by Maxwell D. Taylor. Paul Maxwell portrayed Max Taylor in the film (a small part, if I remember).

And I can't give you an answer to B and D. It's been a long time since I've seen ABTF.

Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.

[–] webbrl 8 years ago

Thanks, 19.

[–] TheGoodMan19 8 years ago

de nada

Market-Garden actually wasn't a bad idea. The Allies were scared of crossing the Rhein. Using the Airborne to seize effect a crossing was unexpected, especially in that area (and extra especially unexpected coming from Montgomery.) And it would have worked, if not for II SS Panzer Corps. And it was a poor place to do it. There were six bridges, Son Bridge over the Wilhelmina Canal, Vegel Bridge over the South Willem's Canal, Grave Bridge over the Maas River, the Maas-Waal Bridge, the Waal Bridge at Nijmegen and the Neder Rijn Bridge at Arnhem. An ariborne drop further south would have had only two bridges (over the Maas and the Rhine). But that would have put it in the American sector and Monty would have had none of that. It also makes the title of the movie, Cornelius Ryan's book and Boy Browning's quote kind of dumb. The five bridges without the Neder Rijn Bridge were useless.

If you haven't, watch the Band of Brothers episode Replacements, which deals with E co, 2nd Battalion, 506th PIR's fight at Nuenen, outside of Eindhoven.

Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.

[–] Hotrodder 8 years ago

Op. Market-Garden was a classic exploitation campaign- when the enemy seems to be on the run, hit 'em hard. Perhaps Monty should have concentrated on securing Antwerp but as the Germans seemed near defeat probably Market-Garden seemed to be a better idea. Remember that few people - American or British- initially thought it a bad one.
Patton's effort nearer the South was never going to be the main thrust, the move into Germany was always going to be the North and nearer the ports for reasons of supply as much as anything else- shorter supply lines etc. Plus Patton had no where to go even if he did enter Germany, most industry was also nearer the North. As it happens Patton got stalled for weeks at Metz and it wasn't because all the supplies went to Market-Garden.
Episode 4 Replacements of Band Of Brothers has its problems, not least because it ignores completely the US Airborne failing to take Son Bridge. Its portrayal of the British tanks' actions also leaves much to be desired- see the appropriate threads o the BoB Board.

Trust me. I know what I'm doing.

[–] nickm2 8 years ago

A. Lt. General Brian Horrocks (Edward Fox in the film) commanded British XXX Corps. An very good General, one of the best British field commanders.

AND he very skillfully kept XXX Corps from suffering very many casualties, to boot, in spite of the very difficult conditions they had to fight in.

Why can't you wretched prey creatures understand that the Universe doesn't owe you anything!?

[–] webbrl-177-543920 8 years ago

Which wounded troops took refuse in Kate/Liv Ullman's house?

Did some googling. Looks like it was the British 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_ter_Horst