AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE (1962)
(La Rivière du hibou)
A film review by Jeff Johnson
Director: Robert Enrico
Cast: Roger Jacquet, Anne Cornaly, Anker Larsen, Stéphane Fey, Jacques-Françoise
Zeller, Pierre Danny, Louis Adelin
Everything is about time:
The time it takes to show up at your grave.
The time it takes to get from here to there.
The time it takes to put the tape in the VCR and sit back down again.
The time it takes to dream of a glamorous escape from whatever dooming gallows you
might be under.
The time it takes to read this review.
It's 6:20PM.
Anyone who has ever made, seen, discussed or reviewed films (with the exception of the
Lumiere Bros., Edison & Melies) has a certain film that opened their eyes to the magic of
the celluloid moving picture. A certain film that touched them in all the right places. So
special as to leave you wanting more or forever searching for something similar. A film
that burrows itself neat and deep into your skin; That shot that will never leave your
minds eye, that line that whispers to you when you're drunk, that ending that is still a
surprise after all the time that's passed.
I first saw the classic short film An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge in a High School
English class. The film is the adaptation of a short story by Ambrose Bierce, one of the
many stories he wrote concerning the American Civil War. At the time, watching the film
seemed like nothing more than an escape from classroom confinement. Yet, by the end of
the film I had felt something click in me, something creative and delicious, something
that I didn't fully understand but needed to explore further; like my first light-headed long
kiss.
All 30 minutes (1800 seconds) of An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge turned my
expectations inside and out with a whiplash of storytelling and simplicity. It took my idea
of film (to that point in time quite limited) and dumped cold water on it. Showing me that
the conventions of storytelling, of film, of time itself were there to be played with,
perceived with suspicion and lived under only if all else failed. While by no means the
first story or film to offer up such an idea, it was the first knock on the head for me.
Directed by the late Robert Enrico, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge was released in
1962, eventually winning the Academy Award for short film and the Palme d'Or at the
Cannes film festival. Yet its first showing to American audiences came a few years later
as a part of Rod Serling's Twilight Zone television show. The film tells the story of a
Confederate soldier, played with terrific intensity and enchantment by Roger Jacquet,
who is about to be hanged at dawn from a train trestle for treason. When the rope breaks
he is thrust into the river below where he slips out of his constraints and makes an escape,
via swimming and on foot, amid a fury of bullets and cannon balls.
Once in the clear, he finds himself near his sun-drenched, lazy day, weepy-willow
plantation and thus a lovely woman.
We assume this is his wife for he had ventured a daydream of her while the noose was
still around his neck. When he sees her he runs toward her at full speed, the first time he
is running with excitement instead of fear, when he reaches her he finds...
The ending of the film is constructed as a surprise so I can't tell you what happens.
However, if you've already seen it, well then you know.
Jean Bofferty's crystalline cinematography pin-points the details of the soldiers unease,
fright and desperation. While Henri Lanoe's music remains hauntingly uplifting. Yet, it is
Enrico's simple direction that seems to echo so strongly after all of this time. For, this
film (which is virtually without dialogue but for a few words) offers viewers and filmmakers alike something that is so often missing in today's films; a clear, concise story
wrapped in a composition of striking images beating in time.
I highly recommend viewing An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge or whatever film it was
that first moved you to revel in your initial feelings and interest in the movies. Take the 2
hours, hour or 30 minutes out of your time and enjoy the trip. For, no matter what the
time you're at in your life, or the time of day, sometimes it's nice to go back and relive
your first time...However long it lasted.
It's 6:20PM.
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is available on video. However, it may be difficult
to find - check video stores with wider selections in foreign and short films or your city
library.
JEFF JOHNSON – 24 January 2002
The mastery in this film lies in the directors manipulation of the audience,leading
them to believe, like the condemned man, that he has escaped, despite obvious
clues that he has not. When seen a second (or third) time, the viewer sees how the
director used his art to "fool" the audience, gaining a better understanding of how
emotions can be manipulated by film techniques.
I havent seen this film in a couple of years, but its imagery and beauty still linger
with me today. This is a very surreal, haunting piece of film, executed with macabre
brilliance unparalleled by any other film of the genre, especially for having been
made in the early sixties. This film clearly brings to mind Adrian Lynes "Jacobs
Ladder," from the early nineties. Another personal favorite of mine, "Ladder"
certainly marks a resemblance to "An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge", though done
with the knowledge, budget, and sophistication that decades can surely bring. If you
are not familiar with this movie, I highly recommend acquiring it whenever you can.
Fans of slightly disturbing, yet beautifully haunting films will certainly not be
disappointed.
In my opinion, the short film, "An occurence at Owl Creek Bridge", was one of the
best movies I have ever seen. I admired the filming style and the unique way the
director put everything together. The surprise ending was brilliant, and if you look for
clues, you may be able to tell the movie is going to take a twist. The silence of the
movie added to the films unique presence, and adds to what is going on in the
prisoners mind. The small amount of music used was just enough to key you in to
the prisoners emotions and feelings from scene to scene. I highly recommend this
superb adaptation of Ambrose Bierces story.