Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)

Bridge On The River Kwai

Director

David Lean

Cast

Alec Guinness
Sessue Hayakawa
William Holden
Jack Hawkins
Geoffrey Horne

Release Date

19 December 1957

Synopsis

"Bridge On The River Kwai" depicts the condition of British prisoners when World War II broke. In the movie, the prisoners are ordered by Colonel Saito (Hayakawa) to construct a bridge for the Burma-Siam railway. Although the British prisoners think of sabotaging the construction, principled and dedicated Colonel Nicholson (Guinness) tells them to work efficiently because the bridge will represent the British morale.

The prisoners admire Colonel Nicholson's commitment to his job despite Colonel Saito's harsh treatment to him. Later on, Colonel Nicholson becomes obsessive in creating the bridge and thinks that the infrastructure is a tribute to himself. Colonel Saito, on one hand, becomes jealous of Colonel Nicholson's effective leadership in making the bridge, which will make Japanese soldiers to easily attack allied soldiers. As the movie progresses, Colonel Nicholson then realizes that the Allies actually have a plan to ruin the bridge.

Academy Award winning movie, "Bridge On The River Kwai" is a classic war film made by David Lean. His brilliant direction for this 1957 movie, which was based on Pierre Boulle's "Le Pont de la Rivire Kwa", bagged a number of awards including Academy Award for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Picture, Best Film Editing, Best Music, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Japanese film and stage actor Sessue Hayakawa was also nominated for Academy Award Best Supporting Actor for portraying the role of Colonel Saito.

Aside from the Academy Award, "Bridge On The River Kwai" was recognized by other film critics, groups, and award-giving bodies such as the Golden Globe Award, New York Film Critics Circle, and Directors Guild of America. This classic theme is also considered significant and impressive when it was picked to be preserved in the US Library of Congress National Film Registry together with other all-time favorite classic films.

No movie enthusiast should miss watching "Bridge On The River Kwai" because it has a great theme and story. The characters, led by Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa, and William Holden, were also fascinating with their heart-felt acting. Moreover, the film possesses a very compelling set of themes about national pride and ambition.