“The irony about bridges is that they actually connect things and that makes them interesting to capture. However, that also makes them points of conflict. Like the bridge at Remagen, A bridge too far or the bridge in Saving Private Ryan.” Henry tapped a large map on the wall of the garage turned movie theater. He was wearing a bucket for a helmet.
“You might call this one the final bridge.” Kristl said. She had refused to wear any silly items, but then she hardly needed to as she was already dressed in army gear with her combat boots and leather jacket.
“So how is it to have things reversed?” Said Henry.
“You mean that this movie does not center around Americans?” Kristl said.
“US as baddies?”
“I got the feeling those Americans were not actually portrayed as bad. More as opponents really. They were a bit miffed that they were shot at and shooting at kids.”
“Nazi kids.”
“Uhm…they were more like regulars. Not nazi’s.”
“Ah.”
“And they kicked ass. Almost wiped out a whole unit of Americans that hightailed it outta there.” Kristl said gleefully.
“Hmm.. They acted kind of silly. Driving headlong at a bridge. I think they wouldn’t have done that in reality.”
“You mean.. it might not be very historical?” Kristl said. Her smile was just a tad too wide.,”Like say… an unit of ss armored vehicles frontally assaulting dug in US airborne troops in a village without any infantry support?”
“I know what you are getting at.” Henry said, “So it was fun.”
“Yeah. It was fun having things reversed.”
“So that is what the movie is all about for you?”
“Not all. The movie is another one that shows the futility of war. Kids play at soldiers defending a bridge that did not need defending at the end of the war. I think it was well acted. It breathes the revulsion of war that Germany in those days felt. Pointless killing in a pointless act of war.”
“The actual fight didn’t really last long.”
“No. It was a small part of the movie.”
“I must say I had a hard time connecting to the kids though. With them speaking German and all.”
“I had some problems with that too. Not because of them talking German, but it felt like I was watching a story from a distance. I think it is because the movie is over fifty years old and we have seen many with the same message. But we should not forget that this was one of the first. We often forget that.”
“Maybe. For action lovers not the best of movies I think.”
“No. This is not Rambo.. or the Bridge at Remagen. It is slower and less violent overall. Still very watchable.”
“For a German…”
“I am not German..” Kristl said.
“I never said that you were. So make it: for an European.”
“Sounds like that is something bad.”
“It is not American.”
“Well, next time you get invaded, you get to make a movie about the futile defense of a bridge of your choice.”
“That is never going to happen. Who is going to invade us.. Let alone succeed?”
“North-Korea?”
“Ha.”
“Or aliens.”
“Double Ha.”
“Or zombies.”
“Hmm. Yeah. They might stand a chance. American zombies of course.”
“Your patriotism is commendable.”
“Yeah.” And Henry sang the first couplet of the star spangled banner.
And Kristl thought that no power, temporal or spiritual, on earth or beyond, could face off Henry’s singing prowess and survive.
Merit Coba 
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