10 War Movie Moments You'll Never Forget
8. "I'm Afraid We Can't Accept Your Surrender" - A Bridge Too Far
Richard Attenborough's A Bridge Too Far has to be one of the most underrated war films ever made. Based on the Cornelius Ryan book of the same name which detailed the Allies' failed airborne invasion of Holland (dubbed Operation Market Garden), the film featured an all-star cast headlined by the likes of Robert Redford, Sean Connery, and Gene Hackman. However, in and amongst those star names was a rising talent by the name of Anthony Hopkins, who gets the pick of the litter as far as the film's most memorable scenes go.
Taking on the role of the real-life Lieutenant-Colonel John Frost, who commanded British forces during the bloody Battle of Arnhem, Hopkins embodies all the classic understatement and caustic wit that came to define the WW2-era Tommy in popular memory. He's accompanied for much of A Bridge Too Far by Christopher Good's Harry Carlyle, an umbrella-wielding soldier based on the real-life Digby Tatham-Warter, with the duo marshalling their troops against an increasingly fierce Nazi counterattack.
Alas, as in real life, Frost's forces are cut off at Arnhem and suffer heavy losses accordingly. This eventually culminates in a reluctant surrender, but not before Frost relays one of the most defiant and humourous retorts to his Axis opponents, delivered with aplomb by Good's Carlyle.
Outgunned, out of time, and implored to surrender by an opposing German soldier, Frost simply says to Carlyle that he should tell the bargaining Nazi to "go to Hell." Carlyle obliges, cheekily responding by saying "we don't have the proper facilities to take you all prisoner." The German, baffled, turns away, with the fighting opening up again a few scenes later.
It's a brilliant exchange, and better still is that it actually happened during the real-life Battle of Arnhem.