The Twilight Zone

  
 

An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

  
     
 
 
     
 

 
     
  Deutscher Titel:

Genre: Thriller

Erstausstrahlung: 28.2.64

Filmlänge:

Drehbuch: Robert Enrico based on a short story "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce

Musik: Henri Lanow

Kamera: Jean Boffety

Regie: Robert Enrico

Produzent: Marcel Ichac und Paul de Roubaix

Darsteller: Roger Jacquet (Confederate Spy), Anne Cornaly, Anker Larsen, Stephane Fey, Jean-Francois Zeller, Pierre Danny, Louis Adelin.

Inhaltsangabe: As dawn breaks on a sunny morning over a pristine creek, we see several decorated soldiers huddled together on a weathered wooden bridge. Their purpose is to see that justice is delivered to a young defector, who waits in tears for the quick release of death. As a thick noose is slowly lowered over his neck and then tightened, our hero's mind wanders from the threat of his eminent death, to the lovely face and beckoning smile of his lost love, whom he will never see again.

The order is given, and the doomed man is placed on a plank opposite a young officer. The officer removes himself from the plank, and our hero plummets into death's grip. But rather than the violent, life-stopping snap of his neck, he instead feels the cool rush of the creek engulfing him. The rope has snapped! But he is still bound in ropes.

Desperately he works to throw off his bindings, the breathless agony of a watery void choking his lungs. Finally, he is able to dash to the surface, where he takes in a sweet gulp of precious air. At last he is free! But the soldiers above are determined to find him, and he isn't safe yet. He swims off in a frenzy, dodging musket balls.

After a long pursuit, our hero finds himself breathless and laying on a familliar shore. Yes, he's only a few miles from home, and his precious bride! Oh, how he longs to see her again! Dirtied and threadbare from his long ordeal, he sets out into a long forest, still trying to avoid being spotted by a bloodthirsty group of officers howling for his blood. He runs for acres and acres, desperately seeking his secluded plantation home. At last he approaches the gates. His bride springs forth to greet him. They run to eachother with lovers' longing in their eyes, anticipating a sweet embrace and a passionate kiss...


A violent snap! And the lifeless corpse of our hero hangs from Owl Creek Bridge, his eyes bulging as his last thought lingers and dies from his mind. It has all been a dream, some futile hope of escape. And as his breath withers and his heart stops, he will hope and dream no more...

Info: Rod Serling introducing this French version on The Twilight Zone on February 28, 1964: "Tonight a presentation so special and unique that, for the first time in the five years we've been presenting The Twilight Zone, we're offering a film shot in France by others. Winner of the Cannes Film Festival of 1962, as well as other international awards, here is a haunting study of the incredible, from the past master of the incredible, Ambrose Bierce. Here is the French production of An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge." Then Rod Sterling's follow-up comments following the presentation: "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge" - in two forms,,, as it was dreamed, and as it was lived and died. This is the stuff of fantasy, the thread of imagination... this is The Twilight Zone."

An interesting aspect ~ there is almost no dialog in this version, almost like a silent film - but most effective.

Screenplay and Directed by Robert Enrico. This production also went on to win an Academy Award. Half-hour.

Winner of the 1962 Cannes Film Festival, "An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge" was an odd choice for a Twilight Zone episode. But by this time, the show was over-budgeted, and in need of some quiet way to end production. It turned out to be a wise choice. The short French film featured a Rod Serling narration, and a ballad, "Livin' Man," a catchy country-gospel song which is strange at first, but quickly grows on you!

Denise de Casabianca and Robert Enrico (Editor), Nat Lilenstein (First Assistant Director), Pierre Lobreau and Gerard Berger (Production Management), Christian Guillouet (Camera Operator), Jean Neny (Sound Mixer).

This episode is not shown in syndication.
This episode is actually a French short film, with several minutes cut out and Serling's narration appended to the beginning and end.
The short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce was first published in Bierce's story collection Tales of Soldiers and Civilians (1891).
The original French film version of this episode won the Academy Award in 1963 for Best Short Film.
The title of the original song for this episode is "Live Livin' Man"; written (in English) by Henri Lanoe, and sung in spiritual style.
The real name of the spy is "Peyton Farquhar."

Präsentation der TV-Show durch Rod Serling: He introducing this French version on The Twilight Zone on February 28, 1964.

Opening Narration
Narrator: "Tonight a presentation so special and unique that, for the first time in the five years we've been presenting The Twilight Zone, we're offering a film shot in France by others. Winner of the Cannes Film Festival of 1962, as well as other international awards, here is a haunting study of the incredible, from the past master of the incredible, Ambrose Bierce. Here is the French production of 'An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge.'"


Closing Narration
Narrator: "An occurence at Owl Creek Bridge--in two forms, as it was dreamed, and as it was lived and died. This is the stuff of fantasy, the thread of imagination...the ingredients of the Twilight Zone."


 Neuverfilmungen:
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Links:
Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge 1959 (Original)