A Bridge Too far is an exceptional war movie about failed operation to attack the Nazis during World War 2. In this film we see many proficient leaders. Among these leader were the Airborne Commanders, Taylor, Gavin, Urquhart, and Sosabowski. These men are distinct from one another, yet there are still similarities to be found among them.
The first man that is explored is Major General Urquhart. From the first moment that we meet him on the screen, we know that General Urquhart is no laughing matter. He also has a very serious demeanor and command the respect of the people around him. However, he also has somewhat of a humorous side when he jokes that he is prone to airsickness, but he is in command of an airborne attack. This joke also goes to show how dedicated he is. Even though he is not that fond of flying, he is going to do it anyway because he likes to carry out his duties to the best of his ability. This resilience and desire to finished the jobs that he is given can be seen at the end of the movie as well when he is disappointed after nine day effort failed after the original plan which was only supposed to take two days failed. Despite the failure of the plan Urquhart was unsatisfied with this result especially after watching so many of his men die.
The next commander that we will talk about is Major General Gavin. Gavin was an experience airborne commander unlike his counterpart Urquhart making him and excellent choice to be a part of this military campaign. Like Urquhart, Gavin knew that they had the odds stacked against them when it came to this mission, but he carried on anyway. Gavin also seemed more combat oriented than Urquhart. Urquhart mostly led his troop from outside of the battle, while Gavin was on the front lines working right next to his men. It is also worth noting that Gavin also cared about the lives of his soldiers, sometimes seemingly more than his fellow commanders.
Next up is General Taylor. Taylor was great leader in his own right. There are few things that we can gather about Taylor from the film. One thing is that he is an excellent diplomat. The way that he able to speak to others is a talent that the other three generals would have a hard time competing in. Other than that, Taylor seemed to fit into the trend of caring about the safety and well-being of the soldiers in this seemingly unwinnable situation that everybody has been placed in.
Lastly, we come to General Sosabowski. He was the first one to have a problem with the plan for the attack. He immediately recognized that the task was not as easy as it seemed on paper. The Nazis were not going to give up the bridges without a serious fight. However flawed the plan was, he request that he was dropped into the fray of battle when the troops needed reinforcements. This shows how brave and daring that he really was. It takes quite a man to being willing to sacrifice so much for the greater good.
It is clear to see that all four of these men are great leaders in their own right. Each of them is unique and choses to lead in their own way. Although they are different, this does not stop any of them from getting the results that any good leader wants to see.