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All the characters in the film are based on historical figures. Sean Connery played his fellow Scot, Major General Urquhart. Gene Hackman played Polish General Stanislaw Sosabowski. Ryan O Neill had the role of General James Gavin, while Dirk Bogarde played Lt Gen. "Boy" Browning. These characters were key players in Operation Market Garden.<ref> MacKenna, p. 216</ref> The German commanders are all based on those who were involved in the fighting, for example, Lieutenant General Wilhelm Bittrich, the SS commander at Arnhem is shown in the movie. However, General Karl Student was not the commander on the western front when Market Garden commenced it was Von Rundstedt.
In general, the film is very faithful to history with regard to the identity of those involved. However, there was one glaring omission from the movie and that was Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. He was the driving force behind Operation Market Garden and without him, it is unlikely that it would have even proceeded. Yet the film does not include him but there are many references to him throughout the movie. Why Attenborough did this is not really known. In Cornelius Ryan’s book, Montgomery was very prominent. It is believed that Attenborough like many other Britons had too much respect for Monty, the victor of El Alamein to include him as a character.<ref> Ryan, Cornelius. <i>A Bridge Too Far </i> (Pelican, London, 1970), p 67, 89</ref> The movie also shows the diverse nature of the allied forces in Operation Market Garden, including British, American, Canadian, Free Dutch forces and Polish Paratroopers.
===Intelligence disaster===