The Bridge (1959)

In the fading twilight of World War II, the peaceful tranquility of a small German village is shattered when seven idealistic teenage boys are abruptly conscripted into the military. Hans Scholten, Albert Mutz, Walter Forst, Jurgen Borchert, Karl Horber, Klaus Hager, and Sigi Bernhard, all only sixteen, are thrust into the harsh reality of war, their youthful enthusiasm curdling into a grim determination to defend the motherland they hold dear. The boys' English teacher, Stern, makes a futile attempt to persuade Commander Fröhlich to shield these young souls from the horrors of war, but his pleas fall on deaf ears. After a single day of training, the boys are summoned to the front, yet fate takes an unexpected turn. They are assigned under Sergeant Heilmann's watchful gaze to guard a seemingly insignificant bridge in their village. Meanwhile, weary Wehrmacht soldiers, their spirits crushed by relentless defeat, retreat from the advancing American troops. Caught in an ideological crossfire, the fervent boys remain steadfast, fueled by the intoxicating Nazi ideology of "blood and honor" they have been fed. Even as the world crumbles around them, they stand their ground, prepared to protect the useless bridge, a symbol of their misplaced patriotism. In this poignant tale of innocence lost, "The Bridge" paints a stark portrait of the devastating consequences of war on the lives of ordinary people, forever changed by circumstances beyond their control.

The Bridge is a drama movie featuring Alfons Teuber and directed by Bernhard Wicki.

The Bridge is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.

It is also possible to buy The Bridge on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies and YouTube.