The Bridge at Remagen (1969)

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Crappy film

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

March, 1945. The allies are closing in on Nazi Germany. The problem for the Americans and British on the Western Front is crossing the Rhine River, a natural obstacle to the invasion of Germany. The Germans have blown all of the bridges on the Rhine, except one - the bridge at Remagen. US forces are headed for it, spearheaded by a platoon lead by war-weary Lt Hartman. The Germans have sent a top-notch infantry officer, Major Kreuger, to take over the defense of the bridge and blow it up. The confrontation between the two could hasten the end of the war, or result in tens of thousands more casualties.Great WW2 drama, based on historic events. Very gritty, especially for its time. Quite realistic in its portrayal of the cynicism of the average soldier - it wasn't all unthinking, selfless courage, blindly following orders, flag-waving and gung-ho-ness. Probably quite novel in that regard, at the time.Great action scenes, with reasonably accurate equipment. No post- WW2 tanks or, worst of all, US tanks masquerading as German tanks.Solid performances, with George Segal (as Lt Hartman) to the fore. Very entertaining.

In March 1945, it is strongly evident that Germany is loosing the war. Hitler's forces are in full retreat as the allies are pushing ever closer towards Berlin. To halt the allied advance, German military brass order the destruction of the last remaining Rhine river bridge at Remagen. Major Krueger(ROBERT VAUGHN)disobeys orders and keeps the bridge open long enough to allow battle weary soldiers to cross back into German territory. A platoon of American GIs headed by Lt. Phil Hartman(GEORGE SEGAL)have been instructed to take the bridge, before Krueger finally decides to destroy it!.THE BRIDGE AT REMAGEN is THE quintessential Second World War combat movie. It depicts the ordinary combat soldier carrying out his objective without the hindrance of a love interest or mushy backstory. Produced by David L. Wolper and distributed by United Artists, Remagen is the younger brother of the slightly inferior "The Devil's Brigade"(1968). This 1969 effort will forever hold a tight position in my personal top 20 war films. The storyline is fact based and totally engaging, without becoming convoluted or tiresome. The script makes the film all the more engrossing. It touches on the issues of low morale in a platoon, how and why it becomes so rife and the crippling effects it has on the soldiers. Battle fatigue is also tactfully depicted. The film shows how it can manifest itself into lasting psychological conditions such as depersonalisation and disassociation. I wouldn't go as far to call Remagen an anti war film, although it does contain some poignant anti war elements, some of which I've just mentioned. Neither is it an all-guts-no-glory flag waver, it simply tells the story of the Allied struggle against Nazi forces for control of the Remagen bridge. John Guillemin's direction moves the film along at a decent pace and the visuals benefit from a rousing Elmer Bernstein score. The script is strong and is crammed with equally sturdy dialogue. Thanks to this, the film contains quite a few memorable lines, with George Segal and Ben Gazzara taking most of them for themselves. I also thought the cinematography was inspired. From time to time the camera lingers over the action, this being particularly effective when the GIs make their initial advance on the bridge.The 3 leads, George Segal, Ben Gazzara and Robert Vaughn all gave staunch performances. These 3 main characters were the driving thrust behind this magnificent film. It is George Segal who gives the best performance in the film. I say this because his cynical interpretation of Lt. Hartman is probably one of the most accurate representations of a soldier I've ever seen in a film. That being said, Gazzara and Vaughn also brilliantly portrayed their characters. The on screen chemistry between Segal and Gazzara was cleverly constructed and rather unique. Bradford Dillman's portrayal of the glory hungry Major really stood out, as did E.G Marshall's. The relatively unknown actors in smaller roles as the GIs were great. Fritz Ford turned in a rigid, but abrupt portrayal of Colonel Dent. The action sequences boast mind blowing special effects. I have always been awestruck by the genuine life size buildings exploding and crashing to the ground during the streetfighting scenes. Yes, these are actual buildings being destroyed, not scale models!. The sights and sounds of ricocheting bullets during the battle on the bridge were impressively realistic. The film's combat scenes are sharp, riotous and taut!. The tank attack on the town itself was both tight and exhilarating. The attack on the bridge was rollicking too, with the director multiplying the suspense tenfold as the Germans frantically struggle to blow the bridge up in the midst of the fighting!. The air attack on the bridge was also spectacular and the opening battle between an American tank column and the German bridge fortifications was awesome. The action scenes succeed fully in driving home the true destructiveness of war.The batch of war movies made by United Artists in the 60s and 70s are grossly underrated and immensely enjoyable. THE BRIDGE AT REMAGEN is no exception. A real "Boys Own" adventure packed with superior performances, masterful action and rugged tension. 10/10.

With the news still ringing in my ears that Mr R.Vaughn has accepted a role in "Coronation Street" I have been thinking about what is my favourite of his movie performances,and,in a tie with "The Magnificent Seven",I have come up with "The bridge at Remagen". "The Victors" years earlier showed that allied troops weren't all angels and although "Bridge" is not in that class,it does give a portrait more realistic than some of the soldiers' less endearing traits. Mr Vaughan plays a German officer whose orders are to destroy the eponymous bridge to prevent the Americans capturing it.But in a rare bout of Teutonic humanitarianism he declines to do so on the grounds that it is the escape route for the town's civilians,thus allowing the Yanks a foothold.Much in the way they vilified the German General who surrendered Paris rather than see it destroyed the Nazi leadership executes Mr Vaughan for his trouble.Ach so.... With a body count not far behind "Where eagles dare",the movie will satisfy bloodthirsty boys who go "kak-kak-kak-kak-kak"whilst pretending to fire machine guns.

Competent war movie benefits from its distinguished cast led by George Segal as the tired unit leader given instructions to prevent the Germans from destroying the Remagen bridge, which is vital to the allies advancement. His nemesis Major Paul Kruger (Vaughn) is similarly under pressure from his superiors to repel the allies, but questions the tactics and futility, his unpopular opinions quietly shared by another battle-weary German officer leading them both into harm's way within their own establishment.Robert Vaughn, while miscast as Kruger, doesn't hamper the overall impact. He adopts all the mannerisms and props, but it's his character's conscience and complexities that go beyond the stereotypical Nazi veneer. Key supporting cast includes Gazzara as the rebellious sergeant Angelo (profiting from the war whenever and however he can), Bradford Dillman as the by-the-book major with whom Segal frequently clashes, and Peter Van Eyck as the sympathetic German officer, a clichéd role (the reluctant soldier) but well undertaken."Bridge at Remagen" boasts some top notch action sequences and stunt-work, along with the occasional human touch that elevates it beyond casual war fodder. Gazzara in particular is given reasonable depth with his characterisation, and given Segal's ambivalence, could even be considered the central character. Bystanders Anna Gael and Sonia Zeimann are the token females with little to offer but some much-needed testosterone balance (although their roles are sexualised to varying degrees), while a number of reasonably well known actors comprise the bit parts (Bo Hopkins, Robert Logan, Paul Prokop, Matt Clark and Fritz Ford). The film tapers off in the final thirty minutes, but is somewhat resurrected by the finale to which the victors go the spoils, and the defeated treated as pariahs while the firing squad awaits. Gritty, worth a look.