The Toko-Ri bridges

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Movie
German title The Toko-Ri bridges
Original title The Bridges at Toko-Ri
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1954
length 103 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Mark Robson
script Valentine Davies
production William Perlberg / George Seaton for Paramount Pictures
music Lyn Murray
camera Loyal Griggs
cut Alma Macrorie
occupation

The Bridges of Toko-Ri is an American film by Mark Robson from 1954. The novel of the same name by James A. Michener was used as a template .

action

Attorney Harry Brubaker, who was a pilot in World War II , is reactivated during the Korean War and assigned to the 77th Far East Squadron on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific. He is supposed to fly a Grumman F9F Panther jet fighter . Disaffected by the war, he and other jet fighter pilots are assigned an important mission: the destruction of the Toko-Ri bridges. The squadron's commander, Admiral Tarrant, tries to convince Brubaker of the sense of the command despite his bitterness.

Before his assignment, Brubaker has seven days offshore vacation in Tokyo, where his wife Nancy and their two children visit him. Nancy, so far unimpressed by the dangers of war, suddenly realizes the scope and risks of his missions.

After a reconnaissance flight with flak fire over the bridges, Brubaker absolutely has to land safely on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier because his fellow crew member missed the safety rope and snapped into the safety nets. Since the net is damaged and not available for the landing of the second aircraft, a tow crane is set up to protect the aircraft parked at the bow. If the pilot misses the safety ropes, a collision with the crane would mean certain death. Brubaker makes a safe landing. Marked by the psychological strain, group commander Lee advises him to resign from the mission. But Brubaker is aware of his responsibility and is doing the job. When approaching the secondary target, fuel tanks on the ground some distance away, a flak splinter penetrates the fuel tank of his machine. After his tank is empty before he can get to the safe sea, he has to make an emergency landing in an open field in hostile territory. A rescue team, whose superior he used to be and who values ​​him very much, comes to his aid. When landing, the engine of the ( Sikorsky HO3S-1 ) helicopter is hit by machine gun fire, and take-off is no longer possible. The copilot is fatally hit when leaving the helicopter. The pilot Mike runs with two rifles to the trench where Brubaker took cover after his emergency landing. The Douglas A-1 Skyraider propeller machines, which accompanied the rescue helicopter for protection, prevent the onslaught of the Koreans until they only have fuel left for the return flight. A first hand grenade can throw back Mike, the second kills him. Brubaker is first wounded, then shot at close range. In its message to Admiral Tarrant, the CAG reports : “Three naval aviators killed in enemy territory. Helicopter crashed and destroyed. Order carried out successfully: the Toko-Ri bridges destroyed. "

backgrounds

  • Most of the shooting took place in Japan . The film was only released for distribution a full year after its completion and premiered in New York in early 1955.
  • William Holden made his involvement in the film dependent on the producers keeping the original ending from the novel (no happy ending ).
  • Grace Kelly had little impact in her comparatively small role as the wife of a naval pilot. The fact that she was seen in a bathing suit for the first time was of greater interest to both critics and the public.
  • In the novel, Brubaker flies a McDonnell F2H Banshee . During the filming on board the USS Oriskany (CV-34) , in the novel "USS Savo Island" , however, Grumman F9F -2 Panthers are used

Reviews

“Conflicts and tragedies among American pilots on an aircraft carrier during a" police operation "in the Korean War. Ambitious semi-documentary sea and air war drama that goes beyond the human problem and tries to provide a differentiated assessment of the historical-political background. "

- Lexicon of International Films

“Sometimes you understand it and sometimes you don't. Anyone who measures “The Bridges of Toko-Ri” against the majority of Hollywood's war films will understand it, because it is not a heroic song by Sonny Boys. On the other hand, however much of the Wild West scheme was dropped, how much was gained in terms of the behavior of the game and simple persuasiveness in the visual - the film does not plumb as deep as it pretends. Because the uniformed citizen, who has to go through an unpopular war in Korea, is at least the pilot of a jet fighter and thus belongs to that new order of tough boys, which among other things seems to be destined to replace the cowboys on the screen. "

- Rheinischer Merkur , 1955

“Documentary war film [...]. Worth seeing."

- 6000 films. Critical notes from the cinema years 1945 to 1958. Handbook V of the Catholic film criticism, 3rd edition, Verlag Haus Altenberg, Düsseldorf 1963, pp. 14/15

Awards

DVD release

  • The Toko-Ri Bridges , CIC Video / Paramount Home Entertainment 2004

literature

Web links