Sara Griffith Film Review 11/16/12

World War II, perhaps more than any other period of history, is a popular era for filmmakers to set narratives within. Nearly every year in contemporary times has seen a new film either recreating an event from WWII or simply set within that time frame with the war as a backdrop to the plot. Audiences in the United States are used to films made about the war that reflect themes and perspectives of American heroism. While many such works are well made and are valid choices for use in classrooms, they typically do not include a broad, international view of the war. Die Brcke (The Bridge) reveals to viewers a number of perspectives and attitudes toward World War II, many of which are often neglected in American consideration. The plot of The Bridge centers on a group of seven friends, all young German boys during the finals days of the war. The film begins by following each boy and establishing their home lives, which vary considerably. The families of the boys differ in economic as well as social standing, with some families allegiances to the Nazi party well established and directly contrasting the attitudes of others. The boys are connected by friendship in addition to a consistent desire to fight for Germany and a shared idealization of the war. The boys wishes are then granted as they are all called up into the army. After just one day of training, the entire unit is called upon to make a last stand and is told it is being sent to the front lines. In an attempt to spare these nave boys, the group is assigned to guard a bridge scheduled to be destroyed the next day. The officers know this is a fake assignment, but the boys do not, and proceed to take the situation seriously and try to act as soldiers in the same spot where they played war as

children. They are left alone at the bridge as chaos grows over the course of the night and the next morning. Without guidance, and with dangerous illusions of purpose, the boys attempt to make a stand, but are tragically struck down individually. My choice to analyze The Bridge and include it in my two week unit came mainly from my own experiences watching it in a classroom. My German 4 teacher used the film as part of a unit on the 1930s and 1940s within Germany. While I would show it in a different class with a different curriculum, the themes of the film would be equally essential and valid. The film works as an interesting source of a multitude of perspectives not normally acknowledged or explored in American cinema or thought. The lives of German youths, along with both working-class adults and those in the military are presented to the viewer to varying degrees of detail. Among the characters and their families, the differing levels of commitment to the National Socialist party and cause are shown. While some families take pride in the war and the endeavor to fight for Germany, others simply wish to survive the conflict in any way they can. The reasoning behind Nazism is revealed, and the process of indoctrination to Fascism, particularly in young people, is thoroughly established. The possibilities for developing historical understanding and promoting empathy are numerous in the film. Made within the first few decades following the events the film memorializes, The Bridge was received well by international audiences. Released in 1959 in West Germany and 1961 in the United States, the film was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 19601. Despite this initial relative success, the film has slipped into obscurity both within Germany and internationally. The director, Bernhard Wicki, took the project only after a number of others turned it down. He would go on to direct the German segment of The Longest Day,
1

The Bridge, last modified 2012, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052654/.

and his work reflected a desire to reveal certain truths about war.2 The Bridge reveals Wickis desire to show the true tragedy of warfare, that it is inevitable regardless of which side you are on.3 The work seems to be a strictly anti-war piece, though Bernhard Wicki himself has said he made the film as a statement against unsinn des Krieges berhaupt (the nonsense of war as such)4. While these motives are similar, there is an important distinction between them that would need to be made clear to students if shown and analyzed in a classroom. The actors chosen to fill the roles of the schoolboys were unknown and remain so, leaving the viewer with emotional attachments to them as their historical counterparts. Each of these boys and their individual storylines represents and reveals a unique German perspective that was present during the war, particularly as it was coming to a close. The seven boys range from Walter, the resentful son of an NSDAP officer, Jrgen, whose father was killed in action earlier in the war, and Sigi, the smallest of the group, the only son of an overprotective single mother. Each of these lifestyles and attitudes, along with those of the other families and characters, were present throughout the German population at the time. The general belief is that the entire country blindly accepted and supported the Nazi regime until its fall, and that was simply not the case, as the film shows. However, much of the language of propaganda and programming young Germans to believe and fight for National Socialism without fail also appears sporadically throughout The Bridge. The way the boys discuss military service and the war before, and even while they are thrust into the chaos of the war illustrates the idealism they have been presented with throughout adolescence. This rhetoric of dedication to ones country is further emphasized by speeches given by officers in the military, espousing that, every square

2 3

Catherine Cox, The Bridge, Senses of Cinema, (2007). Gregor Cameron, The Bridge (1959), The Lumire Reader, August 9, 2007. 4 Cox, The Bridge.

foot of land we defend is part of the heart of our fatherland. This relentless devotion also contrasted starkly to certain instances of extreme pessimism within German foot soldiers. Some men, who had clearly been fighting for a long period of time, showed a great deal of apathy and depression about the course of the war. When these soldiers came into contact with the boys, regardless of whatever doubts the older mens attitudes temporarily put into the heads of the young, the latters feelings of purpose and determination never disappeared. The typical World War II movie, due to the nature of contemporary cinema, emphasizes the American viewpoint and experience. The Bridge in large part is a deviation from this, though certain scenes do correspond with the perspective and prominence of American heroism and sacrifice. In the peak moments of conflict and chaos at the bridge, two different boys come face-to-face with American soldiers. In both of these instances, the Americans acted as voices of reason, as they react in shock in horror to the child soldiers. They react as the viewer would, saying, What are you doing here? Go home! Once these soldiers realize just who it is they are fighting, they lessen their fire and retreat from the bridge. This action is unfortunately too late for most of the boys, and is still not enough to save one of the remaining two. So while even though the German boys are the main focus of the viewers attention and sympathy, the Americans are also shown as honorable people and soldiers. As a source being used in a classroom, The Bridge would need to be discussed and explained to students. As it was made years after the war ended, in reference to the actual events portrayed, the film is not a primary source. The real incident that happened in April 1945, along with the lone survivors account, is not enough in the highly dramatic and fictionalized film to be a specific resource. However, the film works as a World War II secondary source to a great extent. Wickis portrayal of the German populace and military in the final days of World War II

is an accurate, interesting source from which viewers can gain knowledge of the time. Still, as a work regarding German perspectives on World War II in the years immediately following the war, The Bridge is absolutely a primary source. The film can be analyzed to determine the filmmakers motives and how the themes presented correspond to ideas circling during the time. Thinking about the mindset of Germany after the fall of the Third Reich is an incredibly interesting process, and one in which The Bridge can provide excellent information from that specific time period. If used correctly, Wickis The Bridge can give students unique and interesting insight into the German experience toward the end of World War II. As someone who experienced watching the film in a secondary classroom, I know it can be effective in this process, though it does need thoughtful scaffolding. My own teacher provided us with a worksheet to accompany watching the film, and that aspect is an important one. Not only are there multiple characters that can be easily confused, the film would need multiple sittings to complete in a classroom setting, meaning a sheet could help students maintain thought processes across days. Another activity I might add to better clarify some themes of Nazi idealism in young people is have students look over Hitler Youth documents. By seeing the real language and imagery used at the time, students can comprehend the reality behind the films dialogue. Also, while the perspectives presented in the film are worthwhile for analysis and study, they are not the only ones that deserve recognition. Primary sources that detail the lives of similar people and soldiers from other involved countries such as Italy or the United States would be a beneficial addition to the films viewing. By looking at these sources then comparing the contents to what students saw in The Bridge, they can get a fuller understanding of what life involved for everyone at war.

The Bridge is an engaging and complex historical film, and one that can be used to great success in classrooms, if the correct activities and discussions accompany the viewings. The films emphasis on youthful ambition and how that can lead to tragedy is an interesting theme to analyze, particularly with students, who would be around the age the films characters are. The differences in lifestyle between contemporary students and those presented in The Bridge are massive, but hopefully, with guidance, students can also see similarities between themselves and the boys in the film. And through these comparisons, greater empathy for people often seen as being on the wrong side of history can be achieved.

Bibliography

Cameron,Gregor. The Bridge (1959). The Lumire Reader, August 9, 2007. Cox, Catherine. The Bridge Senses of Cinema, (2007). IMDB. The Bridge. Last modified 2012. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052654/.