Over yonder lays the enemy ? a face unseen, and a voice unheard. You?re not fighting the person, soldier, you?re fighting the cause. War is a necessity to maintain our way of life. Nobody said it was going to be a picnic. Should you die, you will do so in honour. Your family will understand. Now be a man and get out there and fight. Take to the skies and knock out their life support. Without the bridges to and from their bases, they will soon starve.
Having made it through the Second World War, American Harry Brubaker (William Holden) wants to take a break from the rigors of military life and spend time with his wife (Grace Kelly) and two young daughters. However, with the outbreak of the Korean War, he?s sent back into action against his will. When he?s on, Brubaker is one of the best naval flyers out there. However, a crash into the ocean causes the pilot to look at flying from a different perspective. He was lucky to be rescued. A second crash could cost him his life, his wife a husband, and his two daughters a father.
The Bridges at Toko-Ri explores the psychological side of war, telling a tale of distance, fear and vulnerability. But rather than getting right inside the Brubaker?s head, the film hangs around somewhere near his earlobe. We know he?s depressed, scared and tired of fighting, but we never really see it. The film verges on offering opinions and insights that are different from most 1950s war movies, but by not taking the extra step right into Brubaker?s psyche, The Bridges at Toko-Ri ends up boring and often tedious.
Fighting from the sky, Brubaker doesn?t see the enemy; he sees the target. He is away from the front. We see this through ground shots with little focus. The navy fighters look more like birds. By keeping his distance, he removes the human side of war. He is like a machine, carrying out his orders without question. However, once he crashes, Brubaker feels fear and is no longer a machine. He wants out of the military before he loses his life. But before he can get a leave, he must complete one more mission ? take out the bridges at Toko-Ri. Nestled on a mountainside, they are lifelines of the Korean army, bringing supplies in and out of the front. Take out the bridges, and the war will be won.
As refreshing as it is to see the warfront from a more human perspective, there is little else to get excited about here. The pace of the film starts slow and never picks up, except for a couple of short minutes at the very end. Rather than exploring and carefully revealing themes of fear and a soldier?s risk, which lie at the heart of the film, we?re told them through preachy monologues that explain everything. The filmmakers cross all the T?s and dot all the I?s, leaving very little to the imagination.
