amazone.com Review
A powerful study of courage in the face of irrational odds,
The Bridges at Toko-Ri (based on James Michener's novel) is
no less patriotic than many other
war films, but it dispenses
with gung-ho bluster to focus instead on the very real and
tragic consequences of war. This is also one of the first films
to openly criticize the morality of the Korean War while
praising the honor and integrity of the men who fought it. Lt.
Harry Brubaker (William Holden) is one of those men, with one
difference: A lawyer with a loving wife (Grace Kelly) and two
young daughters, he's been recalled to duty from the Navy
Reserve, and reluctantly accepts his mission to fly with a
bomber-jet squadron over one of the Communists' most heavily
protected targets--the strategically vital bridges in the Korean
canyon of Toko-Ri. Brubaker has
his own noble protection, from his fellow pilots (including
Charles McGraw in a fine supporting role), his admiring admiral
(Frederic March), and from the helicopter scouts (Mickey Rooney
and Earl Holliman) who've saved his life on previous missions.
But his ambivalence--and his fear that the Toko-Ri mission will
be his last--is what gives the film its potent emotional impact.
Holden is perfect in his role, and director Mark Robson
steadfastly avoids any false sentiment or macho theatrics that
would diminish the film's devastating climax.
The Bridges at
Toko-Ri in Korea is also a superlative showcase for Naval operations;
the aerial sequences earned an Oscar for special effects, and
complete Navy cooperation assures total authenticity in the
"flat-top" aircraft carrier scenes. For these and other reasons,
this will remain a timeless classic for anyone seeking to
comprehend the emotional maelstrom of warfare. --Jeff Shannon
