The Bridge

"Boys and Girls Dream of love,Manhood and Womanhood to DIscover a World of Violence !"

1959 1h 43m DE

🙌

7.6

BANGER

★7.6TMDB · 205

DramaHistoryWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A group of German boys are ordered to protect a small bridge in their home village during the waning months of the second world war. Truckloads of defeated, cynical Wehrmacht soldiers flee the approaching American troops, but the boys, full of enthusiasm for the "blood and honor" Nazi ideology, stay to defend the useless bridge. The film is based on a West German anti-war novel of the same name, written by Gregor Dorfmeister.

“Boys and Girls Dream of love,Manhood and Womanhood to DIscover a World of Violence !”

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Cast

Folker Bohnet
Hans Scholten
Fritz Wepper
Albert Mutz
Michael Hinz
Walter Forst
Frank Glaubrecht
Jurgen Borchert
Karl Michael Balzer
Karl Horber
Volker Lechtenbrink
Klaus Hager
Günther Hoffmann
Sigi Bernhard
Cordula Trantow
Franziska

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Bernhard Wicki
Writers: Karl-Wilhelm Vivier, Bernhard Wicki, Michael Mansfeld
Languages: German
Countries: Germany

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

67 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Bernhard Wicki, shot by Gerd von Bonin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Hans-Martin Majewski. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Carl Otto Bartning shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Folker Bohnet and Fritz Wepper and Michael Hinz carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Boys and Girls Dream of love,Manhood and Womanhood to DIscover a World of Violence !".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0052654 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Bernhard Wicki directs. Gerd von Bonin behind the camera. Hans-Martin Majewski scores. Carl Otto Bartning cuts. Produced in Germany. Dialogue in German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

167 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Bernhard Wicki, shot by Gerd von Bonin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Hans-Martin Majewski. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Carl Otto Bartning shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Folker Bohnet and Fritz Wepper and Michael Hinz carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Boys and Girls Dream of love,Manhood and Womanhood to DIscover a World of Violence !".
7IMDB entry: tt0052654 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 13 themes, including "small town", "nazi", "steel helmet", "war crimes".
9Released under 15 different titles around the world.