Return from the River Kwai (1989)
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- PG-13
- 1h 41min
- Drama, War
- 14 Apr 1989 (UK)
- Movie
A group of war prisoners from the Kwai bridge building camp undertake a harsh journey to Japan.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Timothy Bottoms | ... |
Seaman Miller
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| Nick Tate | ... |
Lt. Commander Hunt
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| George Takei | ... |
Lieutenant Tanaka
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| Edward Fox | ... |
Major Benford
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Paul Holm | ... |
Benford's Patient
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| Chris Penn | ... |
Lieutenant Crawford
(as Christopher Penn)
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| Ronnie Lazaro | ... |
Boonrod
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| Richard Graham | ... |
Sergeant Perry
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| Tatsuya Nakadai | ... |
Major Harada
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| Denholm Elliott | ... |
Colonel Grayson
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Anna Maria Tirol | ... |
Meo Girl
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Andres Tepongco | ... |
Anon
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Masato Nagamori | ... |
Lieutenant Yamashita
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Pierre Valderon | ... |
Frenchman in Saigon
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Patricia Edmondson | ... |
Lady in Saigon
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Sheila McLaglen | ... |
Lady in Saigon
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Lolita Mirpuri | ... |
Lady in Saigon
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Simplicio Cahilig | ... |
Old Vietnamese Man
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Sachiko Inoue | ... |
Japanese Mother
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Ryusuke Inoue | ... |
Japanese Boy
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Jimmy Guerrero | ... |
Japanese Businessman
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| Etsushi Takahashi | ... |
Captain Ozawa
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| Michael Dante | ... |
Commander Davidson
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| Alexander Blaise | ... |
Exec. Officer Clancy
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| Michael Kostroff | ... |
Radio Man in submarine
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Motoko Kobayashi | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Masachi Tomori | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Koji Kato | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Kashinobu Shibata | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Geno Bolda | ... |
POW (uncredited)
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Anders Carlsson | ... |
British POW / soldier (uncredited)
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John Denny | ... |
Lead British POW (uncredited)
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Robert Denny | ... |
Lead British POW (uncredited)
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Eric Hahn | ... |
POW (uncredited)
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James McKenzie | ... |
POW (uncredited)
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Berto Spoor | ... |
Benford's Soldiers (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Andrew V. McLaglen | ||
Written by
| Joan Blair | ... | (book "Return from the River Kwai") and |
| Clay Blair Jr. | ... | (book "Return from the River Kwai") |
| Sargon Tamimi | ... | (screenplay) and |
| Paul Mayersberg | ... | (screenplay) |
Produced by
| Daniel Unger | ... | executive producer |
| Kurt Unger | ... | producer |
Music by
| Lalo Schifrin | ||
Cinematography by
| Arthur Wooster | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Alan Strachan | ||
Production Design by
| Michael Stringer | ||
Production Management
| Clive Challis | ... | production manager |
| Joey Romero | ... | production manager (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| James Devis | ... | second unit director |
| Nigel Williams | ... | second assistant director |
| Christopher Newman | ... | first assistant director (uncredited) |
| Gene Rose Singson | ... | second assistant director (uncredited) |
Art Department
| Syd Nightingale | ... | construction manager |
| Saul Bass | ... | poster designer (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Pat Brennan | ... | assistant sound editor |
| John Hayward | ... | re-recording mixer (uncredited) |
| William Trent | ... | footsteps editor (uncredited) |
Stunts
| Peter Ladkani | ... | stunt performer |
| Nigel Williams | ... | stunt performer (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| James Devis | ... | second unit cameraman / director of photography: second unit (uncredited) |
| Mike Frift | ... | camera operator: second unit (uncredited) |
Casting Department
| Nigel Williams | ... | extras casting |
Music Department
| Kitarô | ... | composer: Japanese theme (as Kitaro) / producer: Japanese theme (as Kitaro) |
| Bruno Lambert | ... | music engineer |
| Orchestre de Paris | ... | orchestra (as The Paris Philharmonic Orchestra) |
| Lalo Schifrin | ... | conductor / orchestrator |
Script and Continuity Department
| Renée Glynne | ... | continuity (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| David Kerney | ... | production accountant |
| Jane Aguirre | ... | production coordinator (uncredited) |
| Biljana Mirkovic | ... | trainee (uncredited) |
Thanks
| Claude Hudson | ... | in memorium |
| Hide Matsunaga | ... | special thanks |
| George Takei | ... | special thanks |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Warner Bros. (1989) (United States) (theatrical)
- Concorde Film (1989) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Dentsu (1989) (Japan) (theatrical) (presents)
- Herald Eiga (1989) (Japan) (theatrical)
- J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1989) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Marubeni (1989) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Nippon Herald Films (1989) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Nippon Television Network (NTV) (1989) (Japan) (theatrical) (presents)
- Scotia International Filmverleih (1989) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Arrow Video (1991) (Netherlands) (VHS)
- BBC One (2017) (United Kingdom) (tv)
- Braveworld (1990) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- Canal+ (1991) (France) (tv) (dubbed version)
- France 2 (FR2) (1994) (France) (tv) (dubbed version)
- Herald Videogram (1990) (Japan) (video) (LaserDisc)
- M6 (1998) (France) (tv) (dubbed version)
- M6 (2000) (France) (tv) (dubbed version)
- Odyssey (II) (2001) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- Odyssey Video (1999) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- Pioneer LDC (1990) (Japan) (VHS)
- RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1989) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- Topanga Canyon Films (2018) (Spain)
- UCM.ONE (2023) (Austria) (video) (VOD)
- UCM.ONE (2023) (Germany) (video)
- UCM.ONE (2023) (Switzerland) (video) (VOD)
- Video Film Express (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
- Video Film Express (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
- Video Medien Pool (VMP) (1990) (West Germany) (VHS)
- Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
- e-m-s the DVD-Company (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Armed Forces of the Philippines (special thanks)
- Department of National Defense (special thanks)
- Dolby Stereo (in selected theatres)
- EMI Music Publishing (PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES by Darewski courtesy of)
- Film Finances (completion guarantor)
- Geffen Records (Japanese theme by Kitaro courtesy of)
- Home Box Office (HBO) (special thanks)
- MERF (special thanks)
- Philippine Airlines (special thanks)
- Rapid American (special thanks)
- Roadshow Productions (post production at Pinewood Studios, England by)
- Sapex Scripts (post-production script services)
- Studio de la Grande Armée (music recorded at)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
A group of war prisoners has spilt blood, sweat and tears to construct a bridge over the river Kwai in Thailand. Just when the bridge is ready, an American bomber arrives and destroys it. Camp commander Tanaka wants to set an example and orders that some of the prisoners must be executed. Just in time major Harada arrives with orders that the healthiest prisoners must be transported to Japan by train and boat. A treacherous journey since the allied forces keep a close eye on railroads and practically own the seas. The prisoners are thinking of plans to escape. Meanwhile the American bomber has been shot down and its pilot, Leyland Crawford, is being rescued by the indigenous people, the Meo. The Meo have formed a resistance group against the Japanese, led by the British colonel Grayson. Written by Arnoud Tiele (imdb@tiele.nl) |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | War brings out either the best or the worst in men. See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $15,000,000 (estimated) |
| Cumulative Worldwide Gross | $5,000,000 |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | This film was not released in the USA in cinemas because of legal reasons. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Referenced in Chris Penn - Second to None Biography (2024). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Waltzing Matilda See more » |