The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Director:

David Lean

Writer (WGA):

Pierre Boulle (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

14 December 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | War

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.

Plot Keywords:

Bridge | Japanese | Jungle | River | Construction

Awards:

Won 7 Oscars. Another 24 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

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
Heihachirô Ôkawa	...	Captain Kanematsu (as Henry Okawa)
Keiichirô Katsumoto	...	Lieutenant Miura (also as K. Katsumoto) (as Keiichiro Katsumoto)
M.R.B. Chakrabandhu	...	Yai (in opening credits) (as M.R.B. Chakrabandhu {Col. Broome})
Vilaiwan Seeboonreaung	...	Siamese Girl
Ngamta Suphaphongs	...	Siamese Girl
Javanart Punynchoti	...	Siamese Girl
Kannikar Dowklee	...	Siamese Girl

Directed by
David Lean

Writing credits (WGA)
Michael Wilson		(screenplay) originally uncredited and
Carl Foreman		(screenplay) originally uncredited
Pierre Boulle		(novel "Le pont de la rivière Kwaï")

Produced by
Sam Spiegel	....	producer

Original Music by
Malcolm Arnold

Cinematography by
Jack Hildyard		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Peter Taylor		(chief editor)

Art Direction by
Donald M. Ashton

Makeup Department
Stuart Freeborn	....	makeup artist
George Partleton	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Cecil F. Ford	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gus Agosti	....	assistant director
Ted Sturgis	....	assistant director
John Kerrison	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Geoffrey Drake	....	assistant art director
Peter Dukelow	....	construction manager

Sound Department
Pam Bosworth	....	additional sound editor
Eric Boyd-Perkins	....	additional sound editor
Fred Burnley	....	additional sound editor
Rusty Coppleman	....	additional sound editor
John Cox	....	sound
Teddy Darvas	....	additional sound editor
Janet Davidson	....	additional sound editor
Norma Hawkes	....	additional sound editor
Peter Miller	....	additional sound editor
John W. Mitchell	....	sound (as John Mitchell)
Winston Ryder	....	chief sound editor
Peter Davies	....	post-synchronisation (uncredited)

Stunts
Nosher Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Archie Dansie	....	chief electrician
Peter Newbrook	....	camera operator
Ron Drinkwater	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Gerry Fisher	....	additional camera operator (uncredited)
Gerry Fisher	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Robert Merry	....	lighting technician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John Wilson-Apperson	....	wardrobe (as John Apperson)

Editorial Department
George Hively	....	editor (restoration)
William Pine	....	color timer (restoration) (as Bill Pine)
Sati Tooray	....	colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Malcolm Arnold	....	conductor (uncredited)
Charles Camilleri	....	additional orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Angela Martelli	....	continuity
L.E.M. Perowne	....	technical adviser (as Major-Gen. L.E.M. Perowne C.B. C.B.)
William Harrigan Jr.	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Robert Haslam	....	consultant: explosives (uncredited)
Robert Haslam	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Grady Johnson	....	publicist (uncredited)
Maurice Landsberger	....	cashier (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)
• Horizon Pictures (II) (as A Horizon Picture)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Columbia Pictures Release) (Released through Columbia Pictures Corporation also)
• Warner Bros. (1957) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Film-Verleih (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1963) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release) (as A Columbia Pictures Release) (Released through Columbia Pictures Corporation also)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1966) (USA) (TV)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS) (digitally restored pan and scan)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS) (digitally restored/widescreen)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• LK-TEL (1999) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Nothing's New Video (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia Film (1958) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1958) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1972) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Egmont Entertainment (2000) (Finland) (DVD)
• Egmont Film (1996) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1988) (1995) (Finland) (TV)
• Nelonen (2000) (2005) (Finland) (TV)
• Nordisk Film (2000) (Sweden) (DVD)
• R-Video (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• VTC-Video (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)
• Videosonic Arts (1985) (Greece) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1998) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Columbia Pictures  is the author of this film (motion picture) for the purpose of copyright and other laws
• Equipment and Construction Co.  bridge constructed by (as Equipment and Construction Co. Ceylon)
• Government of Ceylon  the producers gratefully acknowledge the co-operation and help extended to them by the various departments of, during the course of the production of the film (as the Government of Ceylon)
• Husband & Co. of Sheffield  consulting engineers for the bridge
• OCS/Freeze Frame/Pixel Magic  negative restoration by (restoration) (as OCS/Freeze Frame)
• Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The  music played by (as The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Sony Pictures Studios  sound services at (restoration) (as Sony Pictures Studios Culver City, California)
• Sunset Gower Studios  sound stages (uncredited)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild war violence (re-rating) (1991)

Runtime:

161 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Japanese | Thai

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (RCA Sound Recording) | Mono (35 mm prints) (RCA Sound Recording) | 4-Track Stereo (Linear PCM)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Spain:T | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) (1992) | West Germany:12 (w) | Sweden:15 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | South Korea:12 | USA:Approved | USA:PG (re-rating) (1991) | Brazil:12 | Japan:G (2010) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | UK:PG (tv rating) | UK:U (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Ambepussa, Sri Lanka

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The film's eight months of shooting began in October 1956. A scouting expedition of the real river Kwai had shown that it was an unsuitable location for filming, as it appeared to be nothing more than a trickling stream. The production finally settled on a tiny village called Kitulgula in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). The site was remote, so a compound of bungalows had to be built for the film crew.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Shears and Warden are having their discussion in the bungalow, the position of the fan over Shears' right shoulder changes between shots.

Quotes:

Colonel Nicholson:Now, there's another important decision that can't be postponed. As most of the British soldiers will be working on the bridge, only a small number will be available for railway work. So, I must ask you, Colonel Saito, to lend us some of your own men to reinforce the railway gang, so that the final stretch of track can be completed as quickly as possible.
Colonel Saito:I have already given the order.
Colonel Nicholson:We must fix the daily work quota for your men. At first I thought of setting it at a yard and a half, so as not to overtire them, but don't you think it would be best if we make it the same as the British soldiers? That would also create a healthy competitive spirit.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Sanford and Son: Sergeant Gork (#5.23)" (1976)

Soundtrack:

Colonel Bogey March

Nothing less than a masterpiece...

About as Oscar-worthy as any film made in the '50s is David Lean's gripping BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI. Based loosely on a real-life incident, it tells the story of an imprisoned British officer (Alec Guinness) who loses sight of his mission when forced to build a bridge for the Japanese that will enable the enemy to carry supplies by train through the jungle during World War II. Guinness plays the crisp British officer to perfection, brilliant in all of his scenes but especially in his confrontations with Sessue Hayakawa. William Holden has a pivotal role as one of the prisoners who escapes and enjoys his freedom for awhile before being asked to return with a small squadron to destroy the bridge. Jack Hawkins and Geoffrey Horne have colorful roles too and all are superb under David Lean's direction.

The jungle settings filmed in Ceylon add the necessary realism to the project and there is never a suspension of interest although the story runs well over two-and-a-half hours. The film builds to a tense and magnificent climax with an ending that seems to be deliberately ambiguous and thought provoking. Well worth watching, especially if shown in the restored letterbox version now being shown on TCM.

Some of the best lines go to William Holden and he makes the most of a complex role--a mixture of cynicism and heroism in a character that ranks with his best anti-hero roles in films of the '50s. He brings as much conviction to his role as Alec Guinness does and deserved a Best Actor nomination that he did not get.