The last Bridge (1954) by Helmut Käutner - Review

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by Helmut Käutner

grade: 8

The Last Bridge is a deep and touching drama that, at a time when people were trying to process what had happened in the dramatic preceding years, shows us war as a completely unfair reality. A reality that when compared to the value of human beings, of every human being, reveals itself in all its weakness and wickedness. In competition at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival.

Three bridges

During the 1954 Cannes Film Festival, a little miracle happened for Austria. During this edition of the prestigious French film festival, in fact, the feature film The Last Bridge, directed by Helmut Käutner and starring an extraordinary Maria Schell, was presented in competition. The Jury, chaired by Jean Cocteau, decided to award the film the Prix International, as well as a special mention for Schell herself. Needless to say, after a series of feature films that, produced copiously between the 1930s and the 1960s or so, had made national cinema lose its appeal, Käutner’s work proved to be (deservedly) a great source of pride for Austria.

The Last Bridge is, therefore, a deep and touching drama that, at a time when people were trying to process what had happened in the dramatic preceding years, shows us war as a completely unfair reality. A reality that, depending on the perspective from which it is observed, can take on completely different meanings each time. A reality that when compared to the value of human beings, of every human being, reveals itself in all its weakness and wickedness.

The story staged is that of young German nurse Helga (played by Maria Schell), who, during World War II, is stationed with her army in a small field hospital on the border with Yugoslavia. She is in love with Sergeant Martin Berger (Carl Möhner) and enjoys every free moment with him. One day, however, a Yugoslavian woman arrives at her hospital and requests the urgent assistance of a doctor. Helga follows her, but is kidnapped by a group of partisans, whose doctor has been seriously injured and needs treatment.

The Last Bridge, therefore, focuses exclusively on its magnetic protagonist. Through her vicissitudes, we gradually learn about the struggle of a people who want to defend their land and loved ones at all costs. The mountains of Yugoslavia are steep and dangerous. Helga knows this well. Yet, she soon begins to feel at ease in that environment. The partisans, led by Boro (Bernhard Wicki), an authoritarian but also extremely humane man, are well aware of her value. An elderly local lady (played by the great Tilla Durieux, who in her time had actually fought alongside the partisans in Yugoslavia) gives her the shoes that once belonged to her nephew, who was killed by the Germans, and with her heartbreaking cry she gives us one of the most moving moments of the entire film.

In making The Last Bridge, Helmut Käutner cleverly decided to put the human being constantly in the foreground. Thus, here we have intense close-ups of the protagonist looking around bewildered, but also glances of wounded partisans who seem to be desperately asking for help. And while the dense Yugoslav forests prove to be now a sort of labyrinth whose exit is difficult to find, now the ideal place to hide from enemies, it is precisely three bridges (as the title already suggests) that play a particularly important role in Helga’s life.

On the first bridge, near her hospital, she saw a man killed by her countrymen for the first time. On the second bridge, on the other hand, she even risks to die during a shootout between Germans and Yugoslavs. Finally, on the third bridge, the girl will have to make the most important decision of her life. Helmut Käutner has paid attention to every detail, giving this important work of his a profound symbolism. It is no coincidence, therefore, that The Last Bridge is considered a real jewel in Austrian film history. And in this respect, as we know, even the Cannes Film Festival agreed.