Apologies to the makers of Saving Private Ryan, Das Boot, Cross of Iron and countless other great war films but this one is for the Brits, stiff upper lips, gritty realism and tally ho’s all round. That’s not to say of course, the films don’t include others but these are predominantly about Tom, Ginger and Andrew!
Film Description
This massive 1977 adaptation by director Richard Attenborough (Gandhi) of Cornelius Ryan’s novel features an all-star cast in an epic rendering of a daring but ultimately disastrous raid behind enemy lines in Holland during the Second World War. A lengthy and exhaustive look at the mechanics of warfare and the price and futility of war, the film is almost too large for its aims but manages to be both picaresque and affecting, particularly in the performance of James Caan. The impressive cast includes Robert Redford, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Dirk Bogarde, Sean Connery, and Liv Ullmann among others.
Best Bits
Lots of great quotes and the jump sequences are excellent
Corporal Hancock: Sir. [Offers mug of tea]
Major General Urquhart: Hancock. I’ve got lunatics laughing at me from the woods. My original plan has been scuppered now that the jeeps haven’t arrived. My communications are completely broken down. Do you really believe any of that can be helped by a cup of tea?
Corporal Hancock: Couldn’t hurt, sir. [Urquhart accepts his mug of tea]
SSgt. Eddie Dohun: Where’s the captain?
Soldier: Dead.
SSgt. Eddie Dohun: Didn’t ask you how he was. I asked you where he was.
Home Owner: She says you are much too noisy.
John Frost: She does realize there’s something of a war going on, doesn’t she?
Lt. Colonel J.O.E. Vandeleur: When you refer to Bailey crap I take it you mean that glorious, precision-made, British-built bridge which is the envy of the civilized world?
SS Panzer Officer: My general says there is no point in continuing this fighting! He wishes to discuss terms of a surrender!
Major Harry Carlyle: Shall I answer him, sir?
Lt. Col. John Frost: Tell him to go to hell.
Major Harry Carlyle: We haven’t the proper facilities to take you all prisoner! Sorry!
SS Panzer Officer: [confused] What?
Major Harry Carlyle: We’d like to, but we can’t accept your surrender! Was there anything else? [German officer walks off]
Major General Urquhart: I thought everyone knew that God was a Scotsman.
The original trailer and opening scene
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6 Comments
technically not a war film but when roger moore turns to richard burton on the tailgate of herc and says ” i suppose a transfer to the cavalry is out of the question sir” before one of the best HALO scenes ever IMHO.
ps respect to burton for wearing royal welsh fusillers capbadge
A sorely underrated film — thanks for including it! My late granddad was an engineer just a bit south and east of there at the time. To give the Yanks their due they have a couple of moments as well: James Caan’s jeep ride is an object rebuttal of “perfect situational awareness” PowerPoints everywhere. Carlyle’s quippery may be my favourite moment in the whole show. So often the “irony” in British humour is in fact well-read sarcasm; here we have not only real irony, but it gets used as an effects-based operation ;)
paul g,
Ich Dien. Burton knew where he came from.
excellent film, my all time fave along with Zulu. How can the other responder say ‘technically not a war film’? Were they playing tiddlywinks? And it wasn’t a HALO drop, it was a static line.
nor was it a herc, but a Dakota, and it had a door NOT a tailgate. Has he even seen the film?
I think he was meaning the Wild Geese with Burton and Moore