World War 2 films have long been an important staple of Hollywood movie making. Even from the early days of the conflict, filmmakers delved into the intense, worldwide happening, seeing the importance and relevance of showcasing such a heart wrenching, profound war that had astronomical consequences. Just think of Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator or Michael Curtiz’s Casablanca as two premium examples. If there is one thing though that I have found frustrating, it is the cookie cutter way in which the Germans have been depicted – either as maniacal villains or as ludicrous buffoons. Though there are a few films, especially in the recent past, that have changed this trend, it has been a rarity to find a more nuanced perspective on the Second World War in relation to this aspect. Interestingly, in 1959 Austrian director Bernhard Wicki released a German feature titled The Bridge (in German, Die Brücke), the first anti-war film to come out of the country that lost the war.
Revolving around a small group of teenagers, namely Hans (Folker Bohnet), Albert (Fritz Wepper), Walter (Michael Hinz), Jurgen (Frank Glaubrecht), Karl (Karl Michael Balzer), Klaus (Volker Lechtenbrink) and Sigi (Günther Hoffmann), they are a class full of schoolboys who are dealing with the universal aspects of being of that age – sometimes making things more than complicated. They struggle with their respective families, friends and girls, but also find camaraderie in their tightknit group. Living their lives as the intensifying war swirls just around their little city, and despite the horrendous happenings, we get the feeling that ‘boys will be boys’. When a bomb lands on the outskirts of town near a nice stone bridge, they unanimously decide that they are going to the edge of the river to investigate.
Providing us with an inside look into the struggles of living in Germany during this tumultuous time, food is scarce and fear is aplenty. Bartering is a way of life – watches and other such things are used as a way to provide food for the family (of monumental importance when a child or parent is sick). People speedily flit around, clearly afraid for their lives. Many decide to pack up the few belongings that they can carry and flee for another, less threatened location (this is the case with one Nazi supporter). We can see how, in better times, this locale could be considered a pretty and tranquil place. Its turrets and towers popping up along the skyline, it somehow feels tired and drawn, weakening with every passing day. Dirt and rubble litter certain streets, and the panicked patter of feet and hooves remind us of the looming threat – these are the scarily hurried, frantic sounds that are heard in chaotic, menacing times.
With the boys being taught from a nationalistic perspective, they are proud of their country and want to serve in the military (the last hope of a struggling nation). Though from our and their parents’ perspective, they are too young, even so, the group are soon drafted into the army – a joyous time for the boys who feel ready to prove themselves as men. The scene, in which they discover that they are going, is richly pieced together, as their teacher (Wolfgang Stumpf), far less nationalistic than the youths, realizes the horrors they are unknowingly walking into – their joyous exuberance a sign of their collective naiveté. It is a rich, dichotomous sequence.
After their first day of training, the higher ups receive word from the field – basically, that things have taken a serious turn and all men who are able to stand and hold a gun are needed. This places the seven teens in the army, with almost no training. Their commander (Heinz Spitzner), still having the voice of the boys’ teacher ringing in his ears (he was approached by the educator, who pled for them, hoping that they could avoid time at the front lines), arranges for them to guard the bridge that they explored earlier on in the film. Of no importance to the war effort, the military is planning on blowing it up if things turn sour. Under the guidance of Unteroffizier Heilmann (Günter Pfitzmann), they are to secure the bridge until the bomb squad arrives. After unlucky happenstance, things take another more than ominous turn when the entire front line is ordered to retreat (without knowing the boys’ mission), and these seven individuals are the only thing standing in the way of the American troops. How will they interpret their orders? What will become of their last stand?
At its heart, this is a motion picture about the futility of war. Revealed at the end to be based upon a true story, it puts into stark context the jarring reality of what we have just watched. It was actually based off of a novel of the same name, written by Gregor Dorfmeister (under the pseudonym Manfred Gregor) – he experienced something very similar to what happens in the story. We are witness to that horrible moment when innocence meets one of the most horrific aspects of life – unavailing death and utter destruction. Youthful exuberance and bravery are quickly replaced by shock and unimaginable pain. It is a complicated scenario for the teens, as so much is wrapped up in defending their home, family and lifestyle.
Also a humanizing tale, it intimately illustrates that the German civilians and soldiers went through similar troubles and horrors that people on the other side of the fence dealt with. Children going off to war, crushes gone wrong, panicked parents, chickenheartedness and bravery are just a few of those things that many will relate to. An example finds an oblivious Klaus unaware of the deep affection Franziska (Cordula Trantow) holds for him. Having to barter her watch for food when her mother was ill, the kindly Klaus gifts her his timepiece. The night before he departs, they sit together, waiting for him to make contact with his mother (to tell her the news over the phone). A semblance of melancholic young love seems to be in the air. When Klaus ruminates if he is able to ask her something, she probably has some grand romantic idea. It ends up that he just wants to ask for his watch back (as it has glow-in-the-dark hands), and will serve him well when on the battlefield. Crestfallen, she returns the item, distraught over handing over the one piece that made their connection real in her mind. Each of the boys has a scenario much like this that highlights the complicated lives of these teens.
Filmed with a realistic, visual style, Wicki often uses tight close ups of the actors’ faces to capture the nervous worry, fear, pain and other feelings that pop up through the skirmish. As the pea-soup thick fog comes off of the water and the decapitated trees smoulder in the background, it feels real to life. Violence, dirt, shell shock and other aspects are used for great effect here. It also has some nice flourishes – one finds a soldier reflected in the scope of a rifle as he pulls the trigger. The Bridge suggests, according to its director, that you can only be a hero in the right set of circumstances – a thought-provoking idea.
A success in Germany, it provided Wicki with the opportunity to co-direct The Longest Day. The Bridge also gained fame worldwide, even winning Best Foreign Film at the Golden Globes in 1959. It is a two part story; a tale of the youths in their natural element (enjoying life), which is then quickly replaced by the jarring, gritty aspects of training for war. . . and then heading off to battle. A fitting conclusion, when the picture comes to a close the camera pans back, providing us with a large, overhead view of the carnage below. So, don’t drag your feet on this one, cross this bridge to see a most stirring anti-war film.
German with English subtitles