runamokprods
Interesting expansion of a Graham Greene short story. A millionaire embezzler tries to steal another man's identity and escape to Mexico. Rod Steiger is terrific in the lead and boldly unafraid to be unsympathetic. There's a solid noir feeling to the story, themes and especially the cinematography. There's a good deal of tension, too.On the other hand, the whole story depends on not just one but two whopping coincidences, along with a couple of those 'why doesn't the character just
?' moments, which hurt the overall effectiveness of the film. The score is a bit over the top too. But, for any faults it's still a well made, thinking person's thriller, worth seeking out if you're a fan of the genre or the elements.
suchenwi
After over a year, I watched Across The Bridge again, as companion piece to Treasure of the Sierra Madre. I had forgotten some of the twists and turns it takes, but enjoyed it just as much the second time around.My spontaneous reaction at the first time ("Citizen Kane meets Casablanca") still holds. It has the downfall of the rich and powerful man theme, as well as the strandedness under the whim of border bureaucracy. And much more... not to mention the dog.Of course it's dated, but that is no point against an old film. I loved watching it again, and reconfirm that this piece has several topics that I haven't seen in any other film - just to start with the borderline drawn across the bridge. I look forward to watching this again. 9/10.
manxcat-5
Well, I haven't seen this movie since I was 7 years old but I have never forgotten it either. The first reviewer is right about this being one of those movies that seems almost forgotten... probably because the message is so downbeat... disturbing and very sad (But then somebody will remember it after 49+ years) This is one of those movies that couldn't have been done in color because it is so bleak. I am going to look for a copy of this movie and see it again before I can really review it... I thought "Old Yeller," was the world's best movie until I saw it again as an adult and it might be this way with Across the Bridge as well.
RalphRobertMoore
Like other reviewers here, I saw Across the Bridge decades ago, but have never forgotten it.Rod Steiger plays a powerful, self-centered financier whose business empire, at the beginning of the film, is starting to crumble under charges of illegalities. He flees for Mexico on a train with a suitcase full of money.His disregard for others is confirmed when he casually murders a fellow train passenger in order to assume his identity and pass across the border.Once in Mexico, the authorities, under pressure from U.S. officials, put pressure on him to return "across the bridge" to the United States, so that he can be arrested. Most of the film is concerned with the slow stripping away of this once-powerful man's options, to where he is left sleeping on the streets, befriended only by a dog. The ending of the film is emotionally powerful, and probably the main reason why so many of us have never forgotten this movie.Since I wrote this review, I've seen the film again, on DVD (in 2005). It does not hold up that well. There's a subplot I had completely forgotten about. I realize now what I remembered about the film was highly selective. In truth, the movie has some interesting parts, but it's not the classic I remembered it being. By all means see it, but it's rather dated.
AD
