It may take some prerequisites to better understand the movie. There are not only different English accents, but also German or even Dutch. Language is not the only tool for communication, if one can understand the story the German and Dutch language parts can also be comprehended.
The movie 'The Bridge Too Far' is based on the true historical event, an allied military action called Operation Market Garden during WWII, the movie reappeared the WWII battle scenes. Some background knowledge about the history, military terminologies, tasks, are helpful to understand the movie.
Background knowledge of the movie : The Bridge Too Far
History
Operation Market Garden:
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful World War II military operation fought in the Netherlands from 17 to 25 September 1944. It was the brainchild of Field Marshal Montgomery and strongly supported by Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt. The airborne operation was undertaken by the First Allied Airborne Army with the land operation by XXX Corps of the British Second Army.[13] The objective was to create a 64 mi (103 km) salient (bulge formation of troops) into German territory with a bridgehead over the River Rhine, creating an Allied invasion route into northern Germany.[4] This was to be achieved by seizing a series of nine bridges with airborne forces, with land forces swiftly following over the bridges. The operation succeeded in liberating the Dutch cities of Eindhoven and Nijmegen along with many towns, creating a 60 mi (97 km) salient into German-held territory, limiting V-2 rocket launching sites. It failed, however, to secure a bridgehead over the Rhine, with the advance being halted at the river.
It was the largest ever airborne action, the overall operation was very daring, ambitious, and risky.
My question: What is the opinion of Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Ally? 蒙哥马利的主意得到丘吉尔与罗斯福的强烈支持,这个冒险主意如果成功,将打开直通德国鲁尔工业区的大门,Arnhem大桥之后,德国再无险可守,提前结束战争,好大喜功,毫不奇怪被政客喜欢,军人哪? 为甚么没提盟军总司令艾森豪威尔的意见?
A few military units are mentioned in the movie, knowing the names of the units, help to understand the scales of particular actions in different scenes.
RAF,英国皇家空军
Luftwaffe 德国空军, German & English pronounciation are the same
Panzer 德国装甲部队。
Field Marshal, 这个发音英语与德语很象
Military ranks:the main roles in the movie are frequently called by names or by their ranks, knowing the ranks help to identify who is who.
In the movie:
Browning & Horrocks are the two highest Lieutenant General,中将 from allied side.
German side highest is : Field-Marshal Walter Model, Lieutenant General Bittrich, etc.
Tasks and Map: Operation Market Garden
Market: an airborne assault to seize key bridges, and;
Garden: a ground attack moving over the seized bridges creating the salient.
Three ally airborne divisions, British 1st airborne division including Polish brigade, American 101 airborne division, American 82nd airborne division were assigned to three zones, to take all the bridges, 9 in total and hold on.
The British 1st got the furthest & most difficult task , Arnhem. 所以电影里Browning 中将对Roy Urquharts(Sean Connrey,yes, the 007 )少将,英军第一空降师师长,说 Roy, you got a price. …
Major-General Roy Urquharts, by Sean Connery
Lieutenant-General Frederick Browning
Meanwhile British 30 corps started from Belgium & Netherland boarder punching into German defence lines, totally 64 miles in 48 hours to reach and reinforce all the airborne troops down the road.
Map:
Indentifying the troops is important to follow the course of the movie, where the scenes moving here to there.
airborne troop armbands:
Uniforms: Indetify different troops by their uniforms, avoid confusion of who is in battle and where the battle ground is.
Brithish military officers: Beret
airborne: red beret, ground: black beret
British ground spearhead commander, Lieutenant colonel JOE Vandeleur (front) by Michael Caine
and Lieutenant General Brian Horrocks(back) in a jeep.
British airborne troop with helmet:
American 101 airborne division/American 82 airborne division, only difference is their armbands
British infantry uniform:
电影中的战争场面,可以体会到东西文化的差异,被困英军在医疗设备不够用的情况下,请求德军停战1小时,把伤员交给德军治疗,General Bittrich: we are winning the battle; Dr. Spaander: Win or lose is not important, but life or death is... after 1 hour you can kill us as you want. 德军居然接受。 最后英军撤退时,用伤员做掩护迷惑德军,最后伤员肯定会被德军俘虏并治疗。没有豪言壮语,无处不在的幽默,对上司的牢骚。
Doc. Spaander requested to pause fire for 1 hour to transport wounded British soldiers to German side, German Lieutenant General Bittrich accepted it.
英军 1st airborne; Lieutenant colonel Johnny Frost的Battalion在空降后第一时刻到达Arnhem最后一座大桥,于是有了电影里那句:I'm awfully sorry, but I'm afraid we're going to occupy your house.
British reconnaissance aircraft, flew over the Dutch underground boy, it is a reconnaissance virsion British fighter plane: Spitfire, only equiped with cameras on weapons.