Arnhem: A Bridge Too Far – the true story behind the film

What’s the true story behind the Battle of Arnhem film? Uncover the real events that inspired the A Bridge Too Far war film.

What is the A Bridge Too Far film about?

A Bridge Too Far is one of the most famous war films ever made.

The 1977 film, directed by Sir Richard Attenborough, tells the story of Operation Market Garden: one of the most daring Allied operations of World War Two.

The film is based on the book of the same name by Irish American author Cornelius Ryan. Ryan's book was adapted for cinema by screenwriter William Goldman. 

Attenborough assembled a top, all-star cast for A Bridge Too Far. 

Among the Hollywood superstars portraying Allied officers and important historical figures of the offensive in A Bridge Too Far are:

• Sir Sean Connery – Major-General Roy Urquhart
• Sir Anthony Hopkins – Lieutenant-Colonel John Frost
• Dirk Bogarde – Lieutenant-General Frederick ‘Boy’ Browning
• Sir Michael Caine – Lieutenant-Colonel J.O.E Vandeleur
• James Caan – Staff Sergeant Eddie Dohun
• Robert Redford – Major Julian Cook
• Gene Hackman – Major General Stanislaw Sosabowski
• Liv Ullmann – Kate Ter Host
• Sir Laurence Olivier – Dr Jan Spaander

Several major German commanders, including Field Marshals Gerd von Rundstedt and Walter Model, and SS General Wilhelm Bittrich, were portrayed too, offering a balanced view of the operation.

A Bridge Too Far also incorporates the Dutch side of the story, including the experiences of Kate Ter Host, portrayed by Norwegian acting legend Liv Ullmann. Known as the “Angel of Arnhem”, Kate helped care for over 250 wounded paratroopers during the battle.

Upon Release, A Bridge Too Far was one of the best performers at the box office, becoming the sixth highest-grossing film of 1977 at the US box office.

Its popularity endures, but like Operation Market Garden, A Bridge Too Far remains somewhat controversial too.

A Bridge Too Far historical accuracy

Image: Paratroopers drop from their transport aircraft over Arnhem as Operation Market Garden begins. Thousands of extras made real parachute jumps during filming of A Bridge Too Far to authentically recreate the Airborne's experience (© IWM)

When making a war movie based on real-life events, a director must strike a balance between authenticity and historical accuracy. 

In the late 1960s, Cornelius Ryans’ ‘The Longest Day’, covering the events of D-Day, had been adapted into a film of the same name. At the time, the Longest Day was widely regarded as one of the most accurate portrayals of Operation Overlord ever committed to film.

As the spiritual sequel to ‘The Longest Day’, it’s clear that A Bridge Too Fars’ filmmakers were striving for the same level of authenticity and accuracy.

The production had several Market Garden veterans involved, including composer John Addison. Dirk Bogarde had also been at Arnhem in September 1944.

So, is A Bridge Too Far historically accurate?

Major-General Urquhart, who advised on the film alongside another veteran of Market Garden Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks, said A Bridge Too Far was “a reasonably accurate spectacle”.

However, there are differences in the portrayal of the battle and the people who fought it against the real events of Operation Market Garden.

One major omission is the lack of Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery. Market Garden was essentially Montgomery’s plan, and he was the driving force behind the ambitious operation, but he has no screen time in Attenborough’s film.

Not including him was an interesting choice. Lieutenant-General Frederick “Boy” Browning, commander of 1st Airborne Corps and Market Garden’s commanding officer, is instead Monty’s stand-in, becoming the focal point for criticism of Allied High Command at Operation Market Garden for the filmmakers.

It’s Browning who utters the immortal line “I always thought we tried to go a bridge too far”, at the film’s conclusion. His depiction in the movie has generated controversy and criticism since its release.

In terms of the operation, A Bridge Too Far is broadly accurate to the sweep of the events of Operation Market Garden:

• Allied parachute landings outside of Arnhem
• XXX Corps struggle to push up “Hell’s Highway” towards the captured bridges
• US Airborne’s attack at Nijmegen
• The Battle of Arnhem and 2nd Parachute Battalion’s stand at Arnhem Bridge

Not all of the important phases of the actual operation were shown too. There is little to show the fighting at Oosterbeek, for example.  

The intense fighting at Nijmegen which delayed the American capture of the bridge there and XXX Corps advance, is also not shown, in favour of focusing on the heroic river crossing attempt by the 82nd Airborne.

Image: The tanks of XXX Corps roll up the "Highway to Hell" as Operation Market Garden. Over 100 vehicles, including some WW2-era tanks, were used to film a Bridge Too Far (© IWM)

Still, what Attenborough was striving for was authenticity as much as accuracy.

Thousands of extras made real parachute landings, while hundreds of period-authentic tanks, aircraft, and equipment were used to give extra authenticity, albeit with a few anachronisms due to availability.  

The emphasis on old-school war movie practical effects, with real vehicles and equipment, adds to the authentic nature of the movie. The chaotic nature of the fighting at Arnhem and Oosterbeek, and the fierce German resistance and response, is greatly depicted in the vivid action scenes.

The anachronisms, such as the wrong tank at Arnhem standing in for a Panther, and small tweaks in boots and uniforms, are noticeable to the more seasoned military buff. Otherwise, they do not detract from the overall accurate depiction of events shown by Attenborough and his cast and crew onscreen.

As a Hollywood war movie, however, liberties have been taken for narrative and entertainment reasons. 

For example, the story of Staff Sergeant Eddie Dohun to save his gravely wounded captain on a mad jeep dash through German lines never happened. Neither did the British stop for tea, as the film suggests, while their comrades were fighting at Arnhem.

These scenes are examples of the dramatic license employed by Attenborough to showcase his reading of the battle, and thus the film’s central theme: Market Garden’s failure is down to the senior commanders, particularly General Browning. 

Perhaps the best scene that exemplifies this is Browning’s dismissal of Dutch intelligence reports stating SS panzer divisions were in the Arnhem area, and the Paras would be landing in a trap. 

Browning, disengaged with the real situation on the ground and overconfident in the face of the Allied success in Normandy, dismisses the intel. The Paras are sent in anyway.

Since the film’s release, this central thesis has become one of the most controversial aspects of the film and shaped public perception of Market Garden for nearly 50 years.

The film also shows clashes between British and American officers and enlisted men regarding the speed and validity of the operation, all events and feelings that were simmering away during the real operation.

While A Bridge Too Far does have its faults, it is still generally an accurate portrayal of the events of Operation Market Garden. 

Was A Bridge Too Far based on a true story?

A Bridge Too Far is based on the true story of Operation Market Graden, although it was adapted for screen from the book of the same name by author Cornelius Ryan.

A Bridge Too Far and Operation Market Garden

A Bridge Too Far Arnhem battle scenes

Image: Armoured vehicles rolling across the "Arnhem Bridge" during the filming of Operation Market Garden. In reality, the area around the real Arnhem Bridge had changed too much in the post-war years, so the scenes were filmed elsewhere in the Netherlands (Wikimedia Commons)

Amongst A Bridge Too Fars’ action set pieces sits the Battle of Arnhem.

The British advance to Arnhem from landing zones to the west of the city is shown accurately, as is Urquhart’s separation from his men and desperate attempt to get back amongst the alleys and winding streets.

Capturing the bridge at Arnhem was Market Garden’s key objective and it afforded significant screentime. The sheer carnage and devastation on the bridge, subject, is shown unflinchingly.

One of the most famous sequences in the movie is Major Harry Carlyle and Lieutenant-Colonel John Frost refusing the “surrender” of German troops in an act of defiance on Arnhem Bridge.

While this didn’t happen in real life, it reflects the attitude of the paratroopers holding the bridge. Heavily outnumbered and outgunned, they held for an incredible three days and four nights, before retreating.

The Arnhem Bridge sequences were not filmed in Arnhem itself. Although a replica of the bridge was built post-war, and still stands to this day, the area around the bridge had been too heavily developed.

The small city of Deventer and its bridge over the Ijssel was chosen to stand as Arnhem’s on-screen stand-in.

Battle of Arnhem film vs real-life heroes and leaders

Image: Major-General Roy Urquhart outside his HQ at the Hartenstein Museum, Oosterbeek. Urquhart was portrayed by Sean Connery in Attenborough's war film (Wikimedia Commons)

We should stress that while striving for accuracy and authenticity, A Bridge Too Far is still a major Hollywood production.

Characters and events are often tweaked to suit narrative or thematic needs. One of the key themes of A Bridge Too Far is the flawed nature of the plan and the senior British commanders persecuting it.

General Browning is essentially Monty’s stand-in and becomes the focus of the criticism of Market Garden’s failure. Modern historians suggest Browning’s on-the-ground decisions may have contributed to the operation’s failure, but his filmic portrayal was not without controversy.

Dirk Bogarde, who portrayed Browning, had been on Montgomery’s staff in September 1944 and had known Browning personally.

Bogarde was upset at the way his acquaintance was portrayed, and the personal criticism he received after, especially as he was under the direction of Richard Attenborough and using screenwriter William Goldman’s script.

In his book, John Frost wrote: “With time and space available, one had to accept that there would have to be a certain amount of cannibalization of characters to overcome the problem, but such experiences left a void”.

It can be argued that the portrayal of the commanders versus the enlisted men is deliberately skewed to portray the senior officers as the problem, as per the filmmakers’ intentions.

The depiction of soldiers and civilians

Image: Dutch civilians welcome British tanks as they reach Eindhoven (© IWM)

The soldiers of A Bridge Too Far, i.e., commissioned officers of lower ranks and the enlisted men, are portrayed as competent and motivated; good men trying to make the most of an unsalvageable situation. They’re also shown as scared, tired, bloodied, and shell-shocked as the battle progresses. 

The Dutch are seen throughout the film; either as civilians cooly trying to deal with British paratroopers occupying their homes, young boys greeting low-flying spitfires with jubilation, or dutiful resistance fighters passing on important info to the Allied invasion force.

One scene shows a group of mentally ill civilians gleefully laughing their way through the woodland near Oosterbeek as 1st Airborne moves towards Arnhem. 

Major-General Roy Urquhart flippantly asks, “Do they know something we don’t?” in a chilling piece of foreshadowing.

In the actual battle, the asylum was hit, and patients did escape to temporarily roam the battlefield.

The Dutch civilians are also shown aiding the British soldiers where they can, not least Kat Ter Host who tended to hundreds of wounded paratroopers during Operation Market Garden.

Contributions of Allied and Axis Forces

Several Market Garden veterans were drafted in as military and technical advisors during the filming of A Bridge Too Far.

Lieutenant General Sir Brian Horrocks, Major-General Roy Urquhart, Brigadier J.O.E Vandeleur, Lieutenant-Colonel John Frost, and Colonel John Waddy were amongst the British veterans to advise on the film.

Additionally, US General Jim Gavin and Colonel Frank Gregg provided technical advice.

A Bridge Too Far - The Real Story

“We’re going to fly 35,000 men 300 miles and drop them behind enemy lines…”

Image: Arnhem Bridge, the "Bridge too Far", at the time of Operation Market Garden (© IWM)

Operation Market Garden was one of the most audacious major offensives ever conceived by Allied High Command during the Second World War.

A mixed ground and airborne assault aimed at capturing key river bridges in the southern Netherlands, liberating that part of the country, and opening the way into Germany. If successful, senior planners thought, it could bring an early halt to the war.

It was conceived by British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, victor of El Alamein, and executed by British, Polish and US troops. The original plan consisted of two connected operations:

• Garden – Advancing a British armoured corps spearheaded by the Irish Guards alongside mobile infantry up through the Netherlands from the Belgian border across the bridges of the lower Rhine to force a way into Northern Germany.
• Market – The landing of 40,000 paratroopers, including British and Polish paratroopers, to capture those vital bridges and hold them in time for the armour to advance.

Montgomery hoped his ambitious plan would be enough to shorten the war, hoping to have it all over by Christmas 1944. As we know, this wasn’t the case.

The Battle began with an enormous airlift on September 17-25. As we know, it was ultimately unsuccessful. 

Slowly, XXX Corps with the tanks of the British Army pushed up the Netherlands’ only highway, to relieve the beleaguered airborne soldiers holding their bridges.

The most important of these was the road bridge at Arnhem. Capturing and holding the last bridge was key to the whole operation. 

After a scattered landing, and encountering unexpectedly strong German resistance, the original paratrooper force assembled to take the bridge at Arnhem was massively depleted. Only a battalion’s worth of men made it through.

They were able to initially capture the north end of the bridge into Arnhem town and the houses surrounding it.

For three days and four nights, the lightly equipped paras held off a superior German force before ammunition, food, and water stocks dwindled and they were forced to retreat.

Elsewhere, the armoured vehicles of XXX Corps were able to reach and liberate Eindhoven but were moving too slowly.

Their main route was a raised road down which exposed tanks to enemy fire.

Any knocked-out vehicles and tanks could block the road, causing serious holds up at the front had huge consequences for the operation’s timetable.

After the men of 2nd Parachute Battalion retreated from Arnhem Bridge, the remaining British paratroopers had formed a perimeter at the Hartenstein Hotel, Oosterbeek, to the west of Arnhem. 

Despite efforts by the Polish Independent Parachute Brigade to reach them, the paras at Oosterbeek were stuck. Running low on supplies and with casualties mounting, the British retreated across the Rhine on September 25, 1944.

The Battle of Arnhem and Operation Market Garden was over. The cost of failure was high.

Martin Middlebrook in his book Arnhem 1944: The Airborne Battle, gives the following Arnhem casualty numbers per regiment:

• 1st Airborne Division - 1,175 killed
• Glider Pilot Regiment – 220 killed
• Polish Independent Parachute Brigade – 90 killed

Additionally, other military services also incurred heavy casualties in the Arnhem Offensive. The RAF, for instance, lost 370 men killed, the Royal Service Corps around 80, and IX Troop Carrier Command around 30. 

More than 6,500 1st Airborne Division paratroopers, 510 Glider Pilot Regiment troops and 110 Polish soldiers were taken as prisoners of war following the defeat at Arnhem.

Why was the war movie A Bridge Too Far controversial?

The big controversy around A Bridge Too Far seems to be the portrayal of General Browning. It is generally agreed by modern histories that his decision-making during the operation was suspect when the film attempts to pin failure mainly on Browning’s conduct.

In reality, there were many reasons why Market Garden failed. Mistakes at the high command level were just part of a rich tapestry of errors, disadvantages and turns of fortune that hampered Operation Market Garden.

According to a making-of documentary on the A Bridge Too Far DVD, the film was “shunned by critics and completely ignored at Oscar time for daring to expose the fatal inadequacies of the Allied Campaign.”

A Bridge Too Far reviews and reception

The contemporary response to A Bridge Too Far was favourable but muted. Critics were divided on their opinions. 

Legendary film critic Roger Ebert gave the film two out of four stars, stating in his scathing review: “Such an exercise in wretched excess, such a mindless series of routine scenes, such a boringly violent indulgence in all the blood and guts and moans they could find, that by the end we're prepared to speculate that maybe producer Joe Levine went two or even three bridges too far.”

Charles Champlin for the Los Angeles Times wrote: “In strictly cinematic terms, the appeal of A Bridge Too Far is easy to state: it is spectacular in the size and range of its effects, earnestly well-acted by a starry and able cast, well-paced and swift despite its length, and marked by an evident attempt to give the balanced truth of a tragic episode from history.”

In a more positive review, The Washington Post’s Gary Arnold said: “In terms of careful period recreation, visual spectacle (the sequences depicting paratroop landings are particularly awesome), the mixture of exciting combat episodes with vivid human-interest vignettes, an effort to establish a coherent, many-faceted view of a complicated and ill-fated military adventure, and a generally superior level of filmmaking intelligence and craftsmanship.”

How did the Arnhem Bridge film influence public perception of the Battle?

Image: British anti-tank gunners at the Battle of Arnhem (© IWM)

To this day, the phrase “a bridge too far” has become a synonym for glorious failure; for getting far but falling at the final hurdle.

The battle was one of the most audacious planned by the Allies, but it has come under scrutiny by post-war historians. Anthony Beevor, author of Arnhem: The Battle for the Bridges, 1944, said in 2021 that “Market Garden was a very bad plan, right from the start.”

Elsewhere, historians like James Holland and Al Murray on their podcast We Have Ways of Making You Talk, posit that General Gavin’s decision to hold his American soldiers on the southside of Nijmegen bridge as having significant negative effects on XXX Corp’s advance.

Others take a different approach. Lloyd Cole writing for World War II Magazine described the operation as “a sensibly conceived scheme” within the context of Allied high command and the situation in Europe in 1944.

In his article, Cole quoted British Arnhem veteran Len Wright: “We wanted and needed Market Garden in 1944. We knew that there were risks and were willing to take them. Now I know that there were more risks than we were told about back then—but we would have taken them nonetheless.”

The truth is, there are many reasons why Operation Market Garden was a failure, but the iconography and public perception of the battle are still influenced by Richard Attenborough’s movie.

The importance of portraying the events of WW2 accurately

Many war movies are guilty of the glorification of combat. The truth is war is a costly, brutal business that has far-reaching psychological and physical effects for those involved, as well as deep political, economic and societal effects.

The Second World War has become mythologised over the following eight decades since its conclusion. Its effects shaped the 20th Century and still have a big effect on geopolitical and societal issues to this day. 

Films, literature, and art around World War Two helped and continue to help new generations to better understand the conflict, but they can also rank as a barometer of public perception. 

Portraying the Second World War accurately is important to simply remind people of the enormity of the conflict but also to expose those to what it was like to fight on the frontlines or experience life on the home front.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission commemorates more than 1.7 million Commonwealth servicemen who fell in the World Wars. Accurate depictions of their experiences help us better under what they went through and what so many gave so we can enjoy the liberties and freedoms of today.

Discover more books, resources and war films about Arnhem

A Bridge Too Far is not the only film to depict the events of The Battle of Arnhem.

Released in August 19146, Theirs is the Glory shows the events at Arnhem Bridge and the desperate fighting at Oosterbeek.

Directed by Market Garden veteran Terrence Young, Theirs is the Glory was filmed on location in Arnhem featuring a cast and crew of over 200 veterans.

Because of its proximity to the events, and with the veterans playing themselves, Theirs is the Glory is considered one of the most accurate and best war films of all time.

As one of the most infamous episodes in the later Allied war effort, thousands of history books have been written on Operation Market Garden.

According to Goodreads, the top books on the Arnhem battle are:

• Arnhem: The Battle for the Bridges, 1944 – Anthony Beever
• The Devil’s Birthday: The Bridges to Arnhem 1944 – Geoffrey S. Powell
• A Bridge Too Far – Cornelius Ryan
• It Never Snows in September: The German View of Market-Garden and the Battle of Arnhem September 1944 – Robert Kershaw
• Airmen of Arnhem – Martin W. Bowman

Of course, one of the best ways to experience Arnhem is to visit Arnhem WW2 sites in person.

The city is replete with iconic locations from Operation Market Garden, not least of all John Frost Bridge, which was rebuilt in 1947, and CWGC’s Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery where the dead of the battle rest.

Explore the real history behind the Arnhem film on the 80th anniversary

Discover the real history and men behind A Bridge Too Far with Legacy of Liberation.

Commonwealth War Graves explores some of the major events of the Second World War with Legacy of Liberation for their 80th Anniversaries.

Find out more about this monumental battle, the men who fought it, and where they are commemorated with Legacy of Liberation.