The Bridge at Remagen

The Bridge at Remagen (1969) starring George Segal, Robert Vaughn, Ben Gazzara, Bradford Dillman, E.G. Marshall. Near the end of World War II, the Germans are on the run, and only one bridge remains spanning the Rhine. It's the escape route for 75,000 German troops, but also an invasion route for Allied soldiers. Unfortunately, this movie never makes clear just exactly what all the fighting is about. Do we want to destroy the bridge, or preserve it? It's never made quite clear in the film, although historically the Allied armies went to great lengths to keep the Nazis from blowing up the span. The movie features lots of neat soldier action, with machine guns and tanks and explosions, but it lacks a coherent script that would explain why all the shooting is taking place. (The DVD does not offer English subtitles, but does have closed captions.) Grade: B-