A Bridge Too Far (1977)

Synopsis: Epic retelling of an epic fail.

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “An epic retelling of World War II’s most tragic blunder, a Bridge Too Far meticulously depicts the ambitious plan which resulted in more Allied casualties than the entire Normandy landing.”

What Did I Learn?: When you’re surrounded by the Germans, your radios don’t work, the Jeeps you need haven’t arrived, and the lunatics from a nearby asylum are laughing at your misfortunes, a nice cup of tea can’t hurt.

You Might Like This Movie If: You drank Crystal Pepsi, drove a Ford Pinto, and always wanted a pair of Bad Idea Jeans.

Really?: 1) Gene Hackman does a terrible Polish accent. 2) The opening narration claims that Hitler was winning the war and controlled most of Europe until the D-Day invasion; considering the Germans were losing big-time on the eastern front, and the Soviets inflicted something along the lines of 90% of German casualties, that claim seems a bit misleading.  

Rating: A Bridge Too Far is the story of Operation Market Garden: an ill-conceived scheme to drop thousands of Allied paratroopers behind enemy lines in the Netherlands and hold three important bridges. The all-star cast is first rate, and you have to love the scene when James Caan orders an overworked surgeon (at gunpoint!) to save the life of his wounded comrade. My only complaint would be that I expected the film to show what happened after the disaster (who covered their asses, who got into trouble, how did the rivalry between Monty and Patton play out, etc....) and it didn’t provide any follow-up. 8/10 stars.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075784/