MovieChat Forums > A Bridge Too Far (1977) Discussion > Who is the German officer in the tank?

Who is the German officer in the tank?

posted 12 years ago by ruffian82
10 replies | jump to latest

That gets blown up as he goes over the bridge (the actor's name?)

I've asked this a bunch of times because the symbolism intrigues me. Here is this "perfect" (according to the Master Race idealism at the time) German leader who looks like a Greek God urging on his troops in a voice of thunder; heck we're looking at Ulysses in a tank! A moment later he is writhing and burning alive. I I always thought the message was this; no matter how strong or weak we appear in battle we all die the same...

But who was the actor? Anyone know?

Is it Patrick Ryecart? if so he looks very imposing in his gear.
I am always struck by this moment; this man who looks unbeatable burning to death seconds later. The irony and the symbolism has always knocked me out as a perfect moment of movie casting, editing, placement.

[–] Hotrodder 12 years ago

It's an actor called Fred Williams:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0930603/
He was playing Hauptsturmführer Viktor Eberhard Gräbner:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Eberhard_Gr%C3%A4bner
And it's a half-track, not a tank BTW, actually a replica of a SdKfz251/3.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sdkfz251

"Oh dear. How sad. Never mind!"

[–] ruffian82 12 years ago

THANK YOU!!!!

[–] Aylmer 8 years ago

When I first saw this film I was almost certain he was French Stewart from "Third Rock from the Sun". Quite a physical resemblance!

[–] asguy1 7 years ago

From what I understand Eberhard was liked and respected by his troops and superiors.

[–] nickm2 12 years ago

"I am always struck by this moment; this man who looks unbeatable burning to death seconds later. The irony and the symbolism has always knocked me out as a perfect moment of movie casting, editing, placement."

I agree I was quite shocked by this sequence as a young man; I didn't expect it to end quite so horribly; I even thought that soldier who ran to save him to get to him--but then he was cut down by that BREN gunner & Grabener died in the flames.

[–] axecrox 12 years ago

I cant stop myself from pointing out to all here that this seems like an Evil thing for the British paratrooper with the Bren to do.

Can you imagine it if the roles were reversed and a very British or very American officer was in his AFV wounded, and his unarmed colleague was shot down by a German MG as he runs to save him from burning to death?

Shocking cruelty of the evil Germans etc etc. If the offending soldier or his commanding officer survived the war theyd probably be hanged by the allies or get long prison sentences etc.

Im a realist and I know that this scene simply shows us what happens in war but i can never help but notice that when films depict Germans doing things like this it is to show them as evil and deserving of death but here when an Allied soldier does it there is no comment at all about the morality of his actions.

I guess it shows how well propagandarised we are that we scream "War Crime" when our enemies do it and "Reality of War" when we do it.

[–] nickm2 12 years ago

I'm not sure what exactly you're talking about but the scene seemed pretty horrible to me, regardless of who was wearing what uniform. I saw this movie with my father many years ago. During the scene of the XXX (thirty) Corp Soldiers marching through one of the Dutch Cities they had liberated & the civvies were holding a celebration, I commented to my dad how fun it looked. My father (who had lived through 'the occupation') commented that the 'fun' had been bought at an extremely high price.

[–] Ironman54 10 years ago

Aren't you being a bit presumptuous ? How is it clear to the Brit that the Nazis' intention was to save the one burning ? You look around in the heat of battle and see a determined enemy running as fast as he can - wouldn't you (like most) make a snap judgement, thinking hes about to do something thats gonna get one of one of yours killed any second now, and take him (the threat) out ?
Now the Nazis machine gunning the clearly helpless paratroopers I think is a more fitting example of the kind of what you're describing, no ?

[–] axecrox 9 years ago

Hello,
I don't think it is presumptuous of me to read the situation as the unarmed German running to help his commander because that is clearly how the movie depicts the scene. I understand your point about how the Brit with the Bren wouldn't know what the German was doing and would be fully justified to shoot him down in those circumstances. but I was referring to scenes in films, not real life combat situations. Its in the films that we are given the double standards that I was referring to and this scene in this film is a good example of it.
I cant remember a scene of Germans shooting helpless paras in this film but regardless I don't have a problem with any such scene, especially as that would be historically accurate as we are told that some paras were shot when they were dangling helplessly etc. what I have a problem with is the general feeling I get when I watch films and documentaries (even recently made ones) that display very clear double standards.
To me either it is wrong to kill an unarmed man or it isn't. But it cannot be wrong for 'them" and ok for "us". Where is the morality in that? If we truly believe this is moral then we will live in a world where our governments go around invading countries and arrest and torture people without trial and oh wait......

[–] nickm2 9 years ago

I don't think it is presumptuous of me to read the situation as the unarmed German running to help his commander because that is clearly how the movie depicts the scene.

I'm sure in 'real life' there was so much smoke from burning vehicles & from the gunfire that seeing much of anything would probably not be possible. The BREN gunner probably saw a 'shape' & fired...but of course such things make for poor film making, hence the scene on the bridge was perfectly clear.

Why can't you wretched prey creatures understand that the Universe doesn't owe you anything!?