The Bridge on the River Kwai poster & wallpaper

William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins

After settling his differences with a Japanese PoW camp commander, a British colonel co-operates to oversee his men's construction of a railway bridge for their captors - while oblivious to a plan by ...( read more  read more... )the Allies to destroy it.

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91% liked it

17,526 ratings

PG, 162 min.

Directed by: David Lean

Release Date: October 2, 1957

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DVD Release Date: November 21, 2000

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The Bridge on the River Kwai Alec Guinness as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) David lean, Alec Guinness and Sessue Hayakawa David lean and Alec Guinnes on the set On the set The Bridge on the River Kwai Alec Guinness The Bridge on the River Kwai William Holden Alec Guinness in The Bridge on the River Kwai Alec Guinness in The Bridge on the River Kwai Alec Guinness in The Bridge on the River Kwai Alec Guinness in The Bridge on the River Kwai
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Flixster Reviews (2,080)

  • garyX
    April 28, 2009
    garyX
    A stubborn English Colonel locks horns with a similarly duty-bound Japanese prison camp commander over the building of a strategically important railway bridge during the second world war. David Lean's prisoner of war story is a tale of obsession, and it is the battle of wills be...( read more)tween Alec Guiness and his Japanese counterpart that forms the core of the story. Examining the cliche of the British stiff upper lip, although Guiness' obstinate refusal to co-operate with the enemy gives his men the spirit to carry on, it is more his own personal obsession (bordering on insanity) than heroism that eggs him on. On the other side of the coin, it is William Holden's hustling commander, actually more interested in self-preservation (echoing his role in Stalag 17) who must show him the error of his ways during an unforgettable finale that brilliantly captures the madness of war. It is maybe a little longer than it needs to be, as the central section away from the bridge itself is rather less interesting, but Guiness' performance is superb, and this film is rightly considered as an all-time classic.
  • hypathio7
    April 22, 2009
    hypathio7
    Sweeping Lean! The acting is awesome. I love the battle of wills between the two top officers. POWs captured by the Japanese somewhere in Asia during WWII are ordered to build a bridge that will help the Japanese war effort. But then Alec Guinness decides to build his men's m...( read more)oral by taking on the building project and plans to leave the bridge as a monument to British resourcefulness and engineering skill. This movie has another charismatic performance from Holden too. After escaping, Holden must journey back toward the POW camp on a mission to destroy the bridge that the Japanese will use to transport supplies. You see two Allie forces working at opposite goals. Meanwhile, Hayakawa plays a Japanese General riddled with shame. And the ending is edge of your seat suspenseful without all the excessive special effects and stunts used in today's action dramas.
  • sononothing
    January 6, 2009
    sononothing
    The Bridge on the River Kwai is a war movie without a war, but it still has a conflict between two or even three sides that makes for a great film that almost borders on cat and mouse. The film opens on a P.O.W. camp commanded by Captain Saito (Sessue Hayakawa) who has been order...( read more)ed to build the bridge from the title by fresh prison labor in the former of a British squad led by Col. Nicholson (Alec Guinness). Nicholson is strictly by the book which endears him to his troops but agitates the lone American prisoner Major Shears (William Holden) and Saito himself. After a battle of wills between Saito and Nicholson the bridge which was supposed to be the Japanese commanders grand project slowly slips into the hands of Col. Nicholson who proves he can do it better and faster and becomes obsessed with the project almost to the point of what could be considered treason.

    The acting in BOtRK is one of the shining points with Guinness capturing the best acting Oscar in 1957. He becomes the obsessed colonel who wants the bridge to stand as a monument of his own leadership abilities. Hayakawa's Saito is the exact opposite. He represents the relunctant soldier who actually wanted to be a musician. He wants to be a success but can't keep control of the project, dishonoring him. Hayakawa's performance is just as powerful as Guinness'.

    This is a David Lean film, but it's a small intimate David Lean film meaning that in the normal world this would be a huge production but for David Lean it's just a baby. Since it's a Lean picture there are some great visuals and a storytelling style that pulls you into the film.

    So when I said that Bridge on the River Kwai is a war film without a war with a war I meant that these men are sitting out the war on the outside of the jungle, yet there is an ego vs. ego war going on in that small prison camp in the jungle.
  • sanjurosamurai
    November 9, 2008
    sanjurosamurai
    considered by many to be one of the greatest films of all time, this multiple academy award winner lives up to its hype. the best part as with all david lean films was the locations, the shots he got in the jungle scenery filled me with awe. the cinematography was also great an...( read more)d obi wan kenobi gave a stubborn and great performance. this is probably one of the top three or four war films of all time.
  • DrZeek
    July 7, 2008
    DrZeek
    Colonel Saito: Do you know what will happen to me if the bridge is not built on time?
    Colonel Nicholson: I haven't the foggiest.
    Colonel Saito: I'll have to kill myself. What would you do if you were me?
    Colonel Nicholson: I suppose if I were you... I'd have to kill myself.
    Colon...( read more)el Nicholson: [raising the glass of scotch he previously declined] Cheers!

    There is a reason why this film is regarded as one of, if not the best war film of all time - it's because it is. Its a great movie that has an excellent story full of wonderful characters and memorable scenes. And really, its not much of a standard war film involving large scale battles, but more of a character focused story, with various moments of thrills.

    Alec Guiness, who is simply awesome throughout, plays Colonel Nicholson a British officer. He and a large squad of his men have just been captured and sent to a Japanese PoW camp in Burma.

    There, under the orders of Colonel Saito, also played wonderfully by Sessue Hayakawa, all of the men are being ordered to build a bridge over the river. While Nicholson understands his position and is willing to allow his men to go forth and build the bridge, while under British officer's orders, Saito and Nicholson clash at first due to their own principles. However, this lets up and Nicholson is soon under control of making the best possible bridge, despite being under enemy control.

    Colonel Nicholson: One day the war will be over. And I hope that the people that use this bridge in years to come will remember how it was built and who built it. Not a gang of slaves, but soldiers, British soldiers, Clipton, even in captivity.

    At the same time, a previous American prisoner, Major Shears, played by William Holden, escapes after Nicholson's arrival and makes his way to a hospital and army base.

    Despite his best efforts however, Shears is soon put in a position to be sent back to the PoW camp with a special team in an effort to blow up the bridge that is under construction.

    Maj. Warden: [to Col. Green] Sir, it's most annoying. They say, in view of the time element, they don't think a few practice jumps would be worthwhile.
    Major Shears: No?
    Maj. Warden: No, they say if you make one jump, you've only got 50% chance of injury, two jumps, 80%, and three jumps, you're bound to catch a backache. The consensus of opinion is that the most sensible thing for Major Shears to do is to go ahead and jump, and hope for the best.
    Major Shears: With or without a parachute?

    What is very interesting is how the grand scheme of the actual war is of little issue. The movie is not about putting sides against each other, but putting the views and principles of these main characters at odds with each other. Its wonderful to see Guiness' Nicholson always want to stand by how he perceives a situation and fight for it, while Holden goes in between being for himself and working to achieve a goal. It's very well done.

    Commander Shears: You mean, you intend to uphold the letter of the law, no matter what it costs?
    Colonel Nicholson: Without law, Commander, there is no civilization.
    Commander Shears: That's just my point; here, there is no civilization.
    Colonel Nicholson: Then we have the opportunity to introduce it.

    At two hours and forty-five minutes, there is a not a lot of wasted time. The movie flows wonderfully and looks great. The look of the jungle is perfect, wonderful cinematography. The score also adds to how effective this movie is.

    Director David Lean, who is no stranger to epics with films like Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, has made an incredible film that works on all levels. Great.

    Major Shears: You make me sick with your heroics! There's a stench of death about you. You carry it in your pack like the plague. Explosives and L-pills - they go well together, don't they? And with you it's just one thing or the other: destroy a bridge or destroy yourself. This is just a game, this war! You and Colonel Nicholson, you're two of a kind, crazy with courage. For what? How to die like a gentleman... how to die by the rules - when the only important thing is how to live like a human being.
  • Yelverton
    November 13, 2009
    Yelverton
    A masterpiece. Everyone is superb.
  • kunam88
    October 18, 2009
    kunam88
    yep,its official:i'm not into David Lean. it is just,despite his superior technical ability behind the camera,i never fully emotionally involved with all of his movie.and this last movie from him that i've seen (after Dr.Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia) just justified it.
  • twraiderfan
    October 12, 2009
    twraiderfan
    worth watch ing no matter what year it is
  • Arianeta
    October 2, 2009
    Arianeta
    The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 British World War II film by David Lean based on the novel The Bridge over the River Kwai by French writer Pierre Boulle. The film is a work of fiction but borrows the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942?43 for its historical setting. ...( read more)It stars Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa, Jack Hawkins, and William Holden
  • marylanenalyram
    September 23, 2009
    marylanenalyram
    David Lean?s film looks as though he has stayed away from making a propaganda film but instead one more about the different forms of honor and how they clash between cultures. Three characters struggle with retaining their honor making it very difficult to determine who the hero ...( read more)of the film is. Shears may just be the truly heroic one in the film as during the journey back to the POW camp he tells the troupe that he is more concerned with being a human being than worrying about his honor. Colonel Saito?s adversary isn?t the British or Americans but rather the Bushido code he swears by, in other words his Japanese heritage. Colonel Nicholson has his own idea on how to keep his honor, protecting his troops at all costs. He strays away from his own code as he becomes increasingly obsessed with the completion of the bridge and looks through his men who are in the medical shack to see if any are fit to work and speed up the progress of the bridge.
    Colonel Nicholson?s mind-set towards the completion of the bridge is interesting because throughout the film he tells his men that this bridge will be a symbol to the Japanese of how the British were never defeated and did their work. When in private with Colonel Saito the day before the opening of the bridge, he talks about importance of a man?s life and comparing . The honor Colonel Nicholson finds in the bridge becomes so important that he tries to stop the demolition of it before realizing the Japanese are now the enemy again and setting off the explosion himself. The three main characters who struggled to come to terms with what is honor all die. This could possibly mean that in the environment of war there is no time to question your beliefs or what is honorable.
    Although I can see why this film is regarded as a classic, it is a good film, the way the Japanese were portrayed and the inaccuracies in Colonel Saito?s manners distracted me from enjoying it as much as others have. Colonel Saito was known for negotiating with prisoners for their work and when compared to other Japanese POW camps he was the kindest to the captured. A British officer even stood up for him at the war trials of WWII saving him from being hung with other Japanese officers. Also the fact that the Japanese were too incompetent to build a bridge was rather insulting to me. The Japanese soldiers were either brutes or . And the only way the character of Colonel Saito could be cared for by the audience was through his incompetence. For me this is a film with very strong themes regarding honor but the portrayal of Japanese, the culture from where the Bushido (way of the warrior) code originates, is insulting to me, and I?m only half Japanese.

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The Bridge on the River Kwai Trivia

  • Before playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in "A New Hope", Sir Alec Guiness starred in what famous P.O.W. movie?  Answer »
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