"Actor: Keith Aldrich"

• The Bridges At Toko-Ri | DVD | (13/10/2003) from £9.89   |  Saving you £6.10 (61.68%)   |  RRP £15.99

  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 the gung-ho bluster to focus on the very real and tragic consequences of war. This is also one of the first films to openly criticise the morality of the Korean War while praising the honour and integrity of the men who fought it. Lt Harry Brubaker (William Holden) is one of those men: a lawyer with a loving wife (Grace Kelly) and two young daughters, who is recalled to duty from the Navy Reserve, 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), admiring admiral (Frederic March), and from the helicopter scouts (Mickey Rooney, Earl Holliman) who saved his life on a 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 is also a superlative showcase for the naval operations; the aerial sequences earned an Oscar for special effects and the Navy's cooperation assures total authenticity in the "flat-top" aircraft carrier scenes. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com