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The Bridge (1959) Certificate PG

The Bridge

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Rated 3.5 stars
Average rating
(66%)
 
Starring: Folker Bohnet | Fritz Wepper | Michael Hinz | Frank Glaubrecht | Karl Michael Balzer | Volker Lechtenbrink | Günther Hoffmann | Cordula Trantow | Wolfgang Stumpf | Günter Pfitzmann | Heinz Spitzner | Siegfried Schürenberg | Ruth Hausmeister | Eva Vaitl
Director: Bernhard Wicki
Studio: DIGITAL CLASSICS DVD
Run time: 188 mins
Genres: Action/Adventure | Drama
Languages: English
Subtitles: English
Released: October 19, 2009

The Oscar-nominated classic by Bernhard Wicki. The famous and shocking anti-war movie from the fifties: eight schoolboys, still under-age, are drafted into the German Army during the last days of the war in April 1945. Entirely unreasonably, they receive the order to defend a bridge against advancing American troops. Filled with fervour and patriotic enthusiasm, they believe that they must carry out their orders. But one by one they are killed while defending the bridge. When a group of German demolition troops is about to prepare the blasting of the bridge, the futility of the order becomes obvious. Only one child survives and apathetically returns home.

Highest rated reviews

2 out of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 4.0 stars
The Bridge

Jabberwocky1970 from , 4th November, 2009

A harrowing account during the last months of WW2 set in Germany in a small border town, were a group of friends whom are teenagers are forced to the calling of the Third Reich to defend there country against the Allied invasion of their homeland. It shows friendship, companionship, fear and the horrors of war. Good story and acting with a haunting soundtrack from the the 1950`s, its worth a view

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1 out of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 5.0 stars
A brilliant anti war film

Dungbeetle from , 7th April, 2010

German film with subtitles. This is one of the greatest anti war films which shows a group of school children put into soldiers uniforms and learning that war is not a game. The viewer is left to guess who if any will survive as one by one the friends are killed. The range of emotions as they realise what is happening and the way each individual deals with it is the strong point of the film. We can relate to the sympathy of the adult soldiers who want them to survive. The wizzened old sergeant who is put in charge of them is shot while foraging so they are left to fend for themselves. Torn between a sense of duty and the bond of friendship there are several poignant moments. An excellent commentary on the human psyche.

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Rated 1.5 stars
I thought it would be better

kiwipete from , 12th August, 2010

Over acted, predictable with rubbish tanks. Assume this was a limited budget movie as it looks it. All Quiet on the Western Front is a better antiwar film from the German perspective.

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Rated 4.0 stars
Hidden gem from the Fatherland

Oldbloke from from Sidmouth, 11th August, 2010

Germany in the last days of the war and a group of eager classmates receive their call-up papers. Following just one day's training, they are sent to defend a strategically unimportant bridge in their hometown. Hardly the first film to confront the futility and tragedy of war, but this is a criminally overlooked classic that offers a fascinating view from the german perspective and continues to stand the test of time. How have I missed this all these years.

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Most recent reviews

Rated 4.0 stars
The Bridge

Makem from , 4th May, 2010

This is a classic war film looking at a group of young boys conscripted into the German army near to the end of WW2. The film follows their daily lives, training as conscripted soldiers and finally leading up to the bloody ending, where they have to defend the bridge over the river in their home town against the advancig allies. The film does not glorify war or portray gung ho heroics. Although made in the 50's and in black and white, this only enhances what is a gritty and powerful study of war. This wil not be everyones cup of tea, but for those who enjoy realistic war films similar to the 1930's classic 'All Quiet on the Western Front', then you will not be disappointed. Be warned the film is in German with no subtitles, but in my view this does not diminish what is an excellent war film and well worth watching. Recommended

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