Changes

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.

[[File:Arnhem.jpg|300px|thumb|left| Captured British paratroopers at Arnhem, 1944]]

One of the main reasons for the failure of Operation Market Garden was the fact that many senior officers simply ignored the warnings from the Dutch Resistance. The British and Montgomery had believed that the Germans were all but defeated and that their morale was low.<ref> Ryan, p. 37</ref> He also believed that the bridges were only lightly defended which was correct, but he did not consider that there were substantial German forces near these bridges. In fact, Von Rundstedt had ordered two SS divisions to the area around Arnhem for rest and to be refitted. <ref> Ryan, p. 34</ref> The Dutch Resistance had informed the British of this.