New Arrival The Bridge (#763)

Bernhard Wickis astonishingThe Bridgewas the first major antiwar film to come out of Germany after World War II, as well as the nations first postwar film to be widely shown internationally, even securing an Oscar nomination. Set near the end of the conflict, it follows a group of teenage boys in a small town as they contend with everyday matters like school, girls, and parents, before enlisting as soldiers and being forced to defend their home turf in a confused, terrifying battle. This expressively shot, emotionally bruising drama dared to humanize young German soldiers at a historically tender moment, and proved influential for the coming generation of New German Cinema auteurs.

BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

• New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• New interview with writer Gregor Dorfmeister, on whose autobiographical novel the film is based
• New interview with filmmaker Volker Schlndorff about the films impact on German cinema
• Interview from 1989 with director Bernhard Wicki
• Excerpt from a 2007 documentary by Elisabeth Wicki-Endriss, Wickis widow, featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the shoot
• PLUS: An essay by film critic Terrence Rafferty

  New cover by Michael Boland