IMDb > The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
The Bridge on the River Kwai
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The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) More at IMDbPro »

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The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) -- 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 the Allies to destroy it.
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) -- Clip: What have I done
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) -- 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 the Allies to destroy it.
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) -- Movieplayer.it - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?

Up 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

David Lean

Writer (WGA):

Pierre Boulle (novel)
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Contact:

View company contact information for The Bridge on the River Kwai on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

2 October 1957 (UK) more

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | War more

Tagline:

It spans a whole new world of entertainment!

Plot:

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 the Allies to destroy it. full summary | full synopsis

Plot Keywords:

more

Awards:

Won 7 Oscars. Another 23 wins & 5 nominations more

NewsDesk:
(17 articles)

Birthday Suit: You've Seen Demi's
 (From FilmExperience. 11 November 2009, 4:00 AM, PST)

Geek Deal: Columbia Best Picture Collection for $60
 (From Slash Film. 17 September 2009, 11:30 PM, PDT)

User Comments:

Far Ahead of Its Time more (209 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

William Holden ... Shears

Alec Guinness ... Colonel Nicholson
Jack Hawkins ... Major Warden
Sessue Hayakawa ... Colonel Saito
James Donald ... Major Clipton
Geoffrey Horne ... Lieutenant Joyce
André Morell ... Colonel Green (as Andre Morell)
Peter Williams ... Captain Reeves
John Boxer ... Major Hughes
Percy Herbert ... Grogan
Harold Goodwin ... Baker
Ann Sears ... Nurse
Heihachiro Okawa ... Captain Kanematsu (as Henry Okawa)
Keiichiro Katsumoto ... Lieutenant Miura (as K. Katsumoto)
M.R.B. Chakrabandhu ... Col. Broome Yai
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Additional Details

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild war violence. (1991 reissue)

Runtime:

161 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Japanese | Thai

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (RCA Sound System) | Dolby SR (re-release) | Mono (35 mm prints)

Filming Locations:

Ambepussa, Sri Lanka more


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

There are many rumors about the casting of the film, but most sources claim that Charles Laughton was the original choice of to play the role of Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). Laughton turned down the part as he did not know how to play it convincingly as he did not understand the motivations of the character. He said he only understood the character after seeing the completed film and Alec Guinness' performance as Colonel Nicholson. more

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Japan was not a signatory of the Geneva Conventions until 1953, therefore there was no expectation by Allied prisoners of being treated in accordance with them. In fact, the Japanese treatment of prisoners let to the review and update of the conventions in 1949. more

Quotes:

Commander Shears: [referring to Col. Saito, who had a machine gun brought up to threaten Col. Nicholson and his officers] He's going to do it, believe me, he's really going to do it! more

Movie Connections:

Featured in Pucker Up (2005) more

Soundtrack:

Colonel Bogey March more


FAQ

A NOTE REGARDING SPOILERS
Is this a true story?
What Does Warden (Jack Hawkins) Mean By "I Had To Do It"?
more
51 out of 80 people found the following comment useful.
Far Ahead of Its Time, 14 August 1998
9/10
Author: Sickfrog from Norfolk, VA

First off, what is so amazing about this film is that, for the time that it was made, how modern it looks. David Lean certainly had the eye of any modern director and managed to direct a visual masterpiece at a time when many films were still being shot in black and white.

William Holden gives one of his finest performances as a cynic of warfare , citing for us the insanity and absurdity that the combatants often convey. And he hates the war, but he cannot avoid been thrown back into it again and again. We wish he could stay on the beach with his nurse lover, but he is a man destined for a tragic doom for his country, whether he wants to or not.

Alec Guiness also delivers a fine performance as a bold general whose own pride is, at the same time, his most noble quality as well as his greatest fault. He is uncompromising, yet when the Japanese submit to his demands, he begins overseeing the construction of the bridge with great esteem. Eventually, for him, the bridge becomes a manifestation of his belief of the superiority of the British Army, which he follows like a religion. And in putting all his pride into this bridge, he loses sight of even the British's own true agenda. Truly, his sense of overwhelming honor is, at the same time, his downfall in a descent to a loss of morality, and a sense of good and evil.

And yes, by the end of this film, we learn a great lesson of the horrors of war. Not only does it take the lives of many good men, but the utter failure and despair that accompany it make it an unbearable existence. And this message has only recently been re-evaluated with the also-brilliant masterpiece "Saving Private Ryan." But, keep in mind that it took forty years to regain the power that this film inspired so long ago.

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Am i the only one who thinks that.... jenseyde
Major Warden's Retreat wrunge7-1
need help.. searching for name of movie similar to this one... Maquina_Muerte
The ending of the ending sucked...(spoiler) vespid23
The uncredited actors ? claude-rouyer
Greatest Last Lines in Movie History DD-931
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