Ordinarily, the film would have been taken by boat to London, but due to the Suez crisis this was impossible; therefore the film was taken by air freight. As Shears recuperates in Ceylon, British Major Warden invites him to join a commando mission to destroy the bridge before it is completed. A seemingly timid but secretly ruthless ingénue insinuates herself into the lives of an aging Broadway star and her circle of theater friends. [51][52], The film was restored in 1992 by Columbia Pictures. Fast, free delivery. [35] According to Variety, the film earned estimated domestic box office revenues of $18,000,000[36] although this was revised downwards the following year to $15,000,000, which was still the biggest for 1958 and Columbia's highest-grossing film at the time. At first, the prisoners admire Nicholson when he bravely endures torture rather than compromise his principles for the benefit of Japanese Commandant Colonel Saito, but soon they realise it's a monument to Nicholson, himself, as well as a form of collaboration with the enemy. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 epic war film directed by David Lean and based on the 1952 novel written by Pierre Boulle. Their instinct is to sabotage the bridge, but under the leadership of Colonel Nicholson they're persuaded the bridge should be built to help morale, spirit. Nicholson's vision is the bridge will survive the war and be a tribute to the British Army for its ingenuity in years to come. Mitch Miller had a hit with a recording of both marches. The rest were made of wood and local materials. That evening, the officers are placed in a punishment hut, while Nicholson is locked in an iron box after getting beaten as punishment. An example of this is when commandos Warden and Joyce hunt a fleeing Japanese soldier through the jungle, desperate to prevent him from alerting other troops. We worked at bayonet point and under bamboo lash, taking any risk to sabotage the operation whenever the opportunity arose. It was repaired in time to be blown up the next morning, with Bandaranaike and his entourage present. The dazed colonel stumbles toward the detonator and falls dead on the plunger, blowing up the bridge and sending the train hurtling into the river. River Kwai bridge distributors bemoan lack of vacationers With earnings down 90%, some say Kanchanaburi governor's lodge closure order was A train carrying important dignitaries and soldiers is scheduled to be the first to cross the bridge the following day, and Warden's goal is to destroy both. The story of T.E. One of the other prisoners he meets is Commander Shears of the U.S. Navy, who describes the horrific conditions in the camp run by its commandant, Colonel Saito. Lawrence, the English officer who successfully united and led the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes during World War I in order to fight the Turks. "[41] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 87 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". The four commandos parachute in, though Chapman is killed on landing. According to Columbia Pictures, they followed an all-new 4K digital restoration from the original negative with newly restored 5.1 audio. The site's critical consensus reads, "This complex war epic asks hard questions, resists easy answers, and boasts career-defining work from star Alec Guinness and director David Lean. In early 1943, British POWs arrive at a Japanese prison camp in Burma, led by Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson. We follow the engaging Alec Guinness as he masterfully and stubbornly manipulates and debates with a Japanese Colonel, while another man escapes their prison camp to only return to blow up the bridge the British POW's forced to construct. Watched by Ralph Pro. Bandaranaike, then Prime Minister of Ceylon, and a team of government dignitaries. [53] The image was restored by OCS, Freeze Frame, and Pixel Magic with George Hively editing. Certificate: Passed 37 of 67 people found this review helpful. [45], Balu Mahendra, the Tamil film director, saw the shooting of this film at Kitulgala, Sri Lanka during his school trip and was inspired to become a film director. On another occasion, they argued over the scene where Nicholson reflects on his career in the army. The Colonel Bogey strain was accompanied by a counter-melody using the same chord progressions, then continued with film composer Malcolm Arnold's own composition, "The River Kwai March," played by the off-screen orchestra taking over from the whistlers, though Arnold's march was not heard in completion on the soundtrack. The Bridge has its own station, River Kwae Bridge station is about 200 yards before the Bridge at the Bangkok end. Also, in the novel, the bridge is not destroyed: the train plummets into the river from a secondary charge placed by Warden, but Nicholson (never realising "what have I done?") He created the railroad. In 1941 the Japanese Army invaded Thailand. In reality, Risaburo Saito was respected by his prisoners for being comparatively merciful and fair towards them. Title: An ex-prize fighter turned longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses. Lean shouted at them, 'For God's sake, whistle a march to keep time to.' The Bridge on the River Kwai, the movie The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), the memorable, epic World War II adventure/action, anti-war drama, was the first of director David Lean's major multi-million dollar, wide-screen super-spectaculars (his later epics included Lawrence of … One of the all-time great war films, THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI is yet another classic from the marvelous David Lean (LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, DR. [26][27] Some consider the film to be an insulting parody of Toosey. Alec Guinness, William Holden, Jack Hawkins, and Sessue Hayakawa. It is in good vintage condition. The documentary itself was described by one newspaper reviewer when it was shown on Boxing Day 1974 (The Bridge on the River Kwai had been shown on BBC1 on Christmas Day 1974) as "Following the movie, this is a rerun of the antidote."[33]. Chris Taylor, a neophyte recruit in Vietnam, finds himself caught in a battle of wills between two sergeants, one good and the other evil. A laid back Southern man is sentenced to two years in a rural prison, but refuses to conform. January 19, 2021 Uncategorized Uncategorized The next morning, Saito informs the new prisoners all will work, regardless of rank, on the construction of a railway bridge over the River Kwai that will connect Bangkok and Rangoon. In 1997, the film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress. [37] By October 1960, the film had earned worldwide box office revenues of $30 million. Toosey later defended him in his war crimes trial after the war, and the two became friends. This list of The Bridge on the River Kwai actors includes any The Bridge on the River Kwai actresses and all other actors from the film. The official credit was given to Pierre Boulle (who did not speak English), and the resulting Oscar for Best Screenplay (Adaptation) was awarded to him. By daybreak the river level has dropped, exposing the wire connecting the explosives to the detonator. where is the bridge on the river kwai. In addition, Japanese engineering plans are poor. An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 civilians also died in the course of the project, chiefly forced labour brought from Malaya and the Dutch East Indies, or conscripted in Siam (Thailand) and Burma. The movie garnered seven Academy Awards, including that for best picture, as well as three Golden Globe Awards and four BAFTA awards. In the film, a Colonel Saito is camp commandant. The screenplay, however, divides unevenly between those who must build the Bridge and those who must destroy it. A man tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but complications and a romance of his own ensue. But the reality was a bit different than the movie. ABC, sponsored by Ford, paid a record $1.8 million for the television rights for two screenings in the United States. "[25], A 1969 BBC television documentary, Return to the River Kwai, made by former POW John Coast,[28] sought to highlight the real history behind the film (partly through getting ex-POWs to question its factual basis, for example Dr Hugh de Wardener and Lt-Col Alfred Knights), which angered many former POWs. Should Saito fail to meet his deadline, he would be obliged to commit ritual suicide. Alec Guiness's passionate, detailed performance as Colonel Nicholson, above all other factors, makes Kwai a still watchable and important experience. Toosey in fact did as much as possible to delay the building of the bridge. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. [9], William Holden's deal was considered one of the best ever for an actor at the time, with him receiving 10% of the gross. [22], A memorable feature of the film is the tune that is whistled by the POWs—the first strain of the march "Colonel Bogey"—when they enter the camp. Joining Warden and Shears are Chapman and Lieutenant Joyce, a novice from Canada. The real River Kwai, and its bridge, is in what was then Siam, now Thailand.The name ‘River Kwai’ refers to the Khwae Noi and Khwae Yai rivers in western Thailand, which converge to become the Mae Klong river at Kanchanaburi, about 70 miles northwest of Bangkok, and it was across the Mae Klong that the infamous bridge was built. Adventure, Certificate: Passed For the novel, see, 1957 World War II film directed by David Lean, American theatrical release poster, "Style A", A transcript of the interview and the documentary as a whole can be found in the new edition of John Coast's book, Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, 11th greatest British film of the 20th century, the highest-grossing film of 1957 in the United States and Canada, Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures, Best Sound Track Album, Dramatic Picture Score or Original Cast, AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition), "Complete National Film Registry Listing | Film Registry | National Film Preservation Board | Programs at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress", "New to the National Film Registry (December 1997) - Library of Congress Information Bulletin", "Columbia Earns as It Holds Coin Due Bill Holden on 10% of 'Kwai, "Flashback: A look back at this day in film history (, "How Father Brown Led Sir Alec Guinness to the Church", "links for research, Allied POWs under the Japanese", "The Colonel of Tamarkan: Philip Toosey and the, "Once-Stupendous-Now-Modest $2,700,000 Budget Kept Secret; 'River Kwai's' Sockfull Gross", "Balu Mahendra, who made his visuals speak, dies at 74", "Warren Buffett carries an American Express card and about $400 in cash", The Colonel of Tamarkan: Philip Toosey and the Bridge on the River Kwai, "Movies | Disc & Digital | Sony Pictures", "Wayne and Shuster Show, The Episode Guide (1954–1990) (series)", Lost and Found: The Story of Cook's Anchor, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama, National Board of Review Award for Best Film, New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Bridge_on_the_River_Kwai&oldid=1002236424, Films featuring a Best Actor Academy Award-winning performance, Films featuring a Best Drama Actor Golden Globe winning performance, Films whose cinematographer won the Best Cinematography Academy Award, Films whose director won the Best Directing Academy Award, Films whose director won the Best Director Golden Globe, Films whose editor won the Best Film Editing Academy Award, Films whose writer won the Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award, Films that won the Best Original Score Academy Award, United States National Film Registry films, Films with screenplays by Michael Wilson (writer), Short description is different from Wikidata, Album articles lacking alt text for covers, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2021, Wikipedia articles with CANTIC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, $30.6 million (worldwide rentals from initial release), Best DVD Original Retrospective Documentary/Featurette, This page was last edited on 23 January 2021, at 13:33. [43] Ebert notes that the film is one of the few war movies that "focuses not on larger rights and wrongs but on individuals", but commented that the viewer is not certain what is intended by the final dialogue due to the film's shifting points of view. We hadn't much breath left for whistling. Verbatim: `Holden's character, up until the time their guerrilla mission begins, seems fabricated; he's unconvincing playing a shirker, and his heroism at the end seems more plausible.' The majority of its smaller components are originals, while others have been used in restorations over the years. Many historical inaccuracies in the film have often been noted by eyewitnesses to the building of the real Burma Railway and historians. Nicholson objects, informing Saito the Geneva Conventions exempts officers from manual labour. The cast includes does not fall onto the plunger, and the bridge suffers only minor damage. Despite this, he won an Oscar and a Grammy. Boulle based his novel, published in 1952, on his own … The movie, exploring the lives of British prisoners of war being held at a Japanese prison camp in Burma, was filmed in Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) near the town of Kitulgala, which is known for its rainforests, adventure sports and activities. (1957). In an interview he said that "There were a lot of lessons in that", Buffett said of the film. Rent The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) starring William Holden and Alec Guinness on DVD and Blu-ray. [46], Warren Buffett said it was his favorite movie. He wanders into a Siamese village, is nursed back to health, and eventually arrives in the British colony of Ceylon. The steel bridge was repaired and is still in use today. These problems resulted in a number of anomalies that were very difficult to correct, like a ghosting effect in many scenes that resembles colour mis-registration, and a tick-like effect with the image jumping or jerking side-to-side. Was this review helpful to you? Toosey was very different from Nicholson and was certainly not a collaborator who felt obliged to work with the Japanese. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 epic war film directed by David Lean and based on the 1952 novel written by Pierre Boulle. Lastly, it is many decades past 1957. As the train approaches, they hurry down to the riverbank to investigate. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. For example, a Sergeant-Major Risaburo Saito was in real life second in command at the camp. One month free trial! Although it was not exposed to sunlight, the heat-sensitive colour film stock should have been hopelessly ruined; however, when processed the shots were perfect and appeared in the film. [40], The film initially received generally positive reviews, with Guinness being widely praised for his performance. Nicholson yells for help, while attempting to stop Joyce from reaching the detonator. The novel deals with the plight of World War II British The cover has a little edge wear and the record looks to be in exceptional nice condition for its age! [55] The original negative for the feature was scanned at 4k (roughly four times the resolution in High Definition), and the colour correction and digital restoration were also completed at 4k. or cross it by train when travelling between Kanchanaburi & Nam Tok. The Bridge on the River Kwai escaped planned bombing, and remains in place in Kanchanaburi as a tourist attraction and functioning railway bridge over which trains pass daily. If Shears' refused, he could face court martial. Realising he has no choice, Shears "volunteers." The film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. The march was written in 1914 by Kenneth J. Alford, a pseudonym of British Bandmaster Frederick J. Ricketts. [43], Slant Magazine gave the film four out of five stars. Over the protests of some of his officers, he orders the building of a proper bridge at a new site where the soil can support it. The British Film Institute placed The Bridge on the River Kwai as the 11th greatest British film. Shears objects to returning to the site of his imprisonment. Two labour forces, one based in Siam and the other in Burma, worked from opposite ends of the line towards the centre. When Joyce is mortally wounded by Japanese fire, Shears swims across the river, but is himself shot. [32] Ernest Gordon, a survivor of the railway construction and POW camps described in the novel/film, stated in a 1962 book, Through the Valley of the Kwai: "In Pierre Boulle's book The Bridge over the River Kwai and the film which was based on it, the impression was given that British officers not only took part in building the bridge willingly, but finished in record time to demonstrate to the enemy their superior efficiency. The Bridge on the River Kwai. Images of whistling soldiers, marching proudly after months of captivity, then putting on an `entertainment' more expected in the world of Rodgers and Hammerstein, may ring very false to today's viewer. But keep your eyes fastened tight to Alec Guiness. Get unlimited DVD Movies & TV Shows delivered to your door with no late fees, ever. The Bridge on the River Kwai, Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Most importantly, there was nowhere to escape from the camp as it was surrounded by jungle. Here are some well-known faces from Sundance over the years, as they brought their early movies to the festival. This was an incorrect assumption. The movie was mainly filmed in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and also in England. A shrewd examination of the brutality of war and the duality of man in conflict. Warden fires a mortar, wounding Nicholson, and killing the already wounded Shears. Saito leaves the officers standing all day in the intense heat. [34] Boulle had never been to the bridge. Wise: "I never heard it in Thailand. Crime. The British didn't build the railway in the 19th century because it would be too expensive. The two did not collaborate on the script; Wilson took over after Lean was dissatisfied with Foreman's work. Madness! The destruction of the bridge as depicted in the film is also entirely fictional. In reality, Japanese engineers proved to be just as capable at construction efforts as their Allied counterparts.[48][49]. David Lean's The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) is a brilliant triple character study set during World War II. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an approval rating of 95% based on 58 reviews, with an average rating of 9.33/10. [23] Gavin Young[24] recounts meeting Donald Wise, a former prisoner of the Japanese who had worked on the Burma Railway. The conditions to which POW and civilian labourers were subjected were far worse than the film depicted. "[45] Significant praise was also given to the actors especially Alec Guinness, Variety said that "the film is unquestionably Guinness'". [13], Director David Lean clashed with his cast members on multiple occasions, particularly Alec Guinness and James Donald, who thought the novel was anti-British. When the shipment failed to arrive in London, a worldwide search was undertaken. [45] William Holden was also credited for his acting, he was said to give a solid characterization and was "easy, credible and always likeable in a role that is the pivot point of the story". This was an entertaining story. A Gem of the Silver Screen. [26] On a BBC Timewatch programme, a former prisoner at the camp states that it is unlikely that a man like the fictional Nicholson could have risen to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and, if he had, due to his collaboration he would have been "quietly eliminated" by the other prisoners. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. "The ending of that was sort of the story of life. In fact, two bridges were built: a temporary wooden bridge and a permanent steel/concrete bridge a few months later. [44] Slant stated that "the 1957 epic subtly develops its themes about the irrationality of honor and the hypocrisy of Britain's class system without ever compromising its thrilling war narrative", and in comparing to other films of the time said that Bridge on the River Kwai "carefully builds its psychological tension until it erupts in a blinding flash of sulfur and flame. After a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge. Major Clipton believes to do so is collaboration with the enemy. [4][5] It has been included on the American Film Institute's list of best American films ever made. Lean had a lengthy row with Guinness over how to play the role of Nicholson; Guinness wanted to play the part with a sense of humour and sympathy, while Lean thought Nicholson should be "a bore." There is no review for this diary entry. You can walk over the Bridge (watch out for trains!) Thank God that I'm starting work tomorrow with an American actor (William Holden)."[14]. The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957 ★★★★★ Jan 21, 2021. Arnold won an Academy Award for the film's score. He described the music for The Bridge on the River Kwai as the "worst job I ever had in my life" from the point of view of time. Wampo viaduct(Wang Po) - also built b… Kwai is the Everest of his career, and very few actors climb that high. An in-depth examination of the ways in which the U.S. Vietnam War impacts and disrupts the lives of people in a small industrial town in Pennsylvania. ", The screenwriters, Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson, were on the Hollywood blacklist and, even though living in exile in England, could only work on the film in secret. Nicholson spots the wire and brings it to Saito's attention. Both bridges were used for two years, until they were destroyed by Allied bombing. During WW II, allied POWs in a Japanese internment camp are ordered to build a bridge to accommodate the Burma-Siam railway. While Nicholson disapproves of acts of sabotage and other deliberate attempts to delay progress, Toosey encouraged this: termites were collected in large numbers to eat the wooden structures, and the concrete was badly mixed. Shears, who is a British commando officer like Warden in the novel, became an American sailor who escapes from the POW camp. Their roles and characters, however, are fictionalised. The negative itself manifested many of the kinds of issues one would expect from a film of this vintage: torn frames, embedded emulsion dirt, scratches through every reel, colour fading. A manipulative woman and a roguish man conduct a turbulent romance during the American Civil War and Reconstruction periods. Holden's relationship with Jack Hawkins (playing a parallel role to his General Allenby in Lawrence) seems pallid next to the mighty Guiness/Hayakawa standoff – in fact, it seems to be in another movie altogether. In a 1988 interview with Barry Norman, Lean confirmed that Columbia almost stopped filming after three weeks because there was no white woman in the film, forcing him to add what he calls, "a very terrible scene" between William Holden and the nurse on the beach. Boulle nonetheless enjoyed the film version though he disagreed with its climax. Only Shears survives. [citation needed] Julie Summers, in her book The Colonel of Tamarkan, writes that Boulle, who had been a prisoner of war in Thailand, created the fictional Nicholson character as an amalgam of his memories of collaborating French officers. Allied prisoners of war plan for several hundred of their number to escape from a German camp during World War II. The Bridge on the River Kwai The majority of its smaller components are originals, while a few are post-war replacements. The 1957 movie Bridge on the River Kwai may be one of the most famous war movies ever made, winning seven Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actor for Alec Guinness. Warden is wounded in an encounter with a Japanese patrol and has to be carried on a litter. Learn how to create your own. IT WAS LOOSELY BASED ON REAL EVENTS. I am too much influenced, I suppose, by the rock and roll jungle menace of Coppola's `Apocalypse Now.' Tom Hanks Says Movie Theaters Will ‘Absolutely’ Survive – But Marvel-Like Franchises Will Dominate, Book Review: “TCM’S The Essentials, Vol. The Bridge On the River Kwai- the Bridge is 5 km beyond central Kanchanaburi, and is now surrounded by cafes, shops and small museums. Two grifters team up to pull off the ultimate con. The Bridge on the River Kwai - 1957. At first, the prisoners admire Nicholson when he bravely endures torture rather than compromise his principles for the benefit of Japanese Commandant Colonel Saito, but soon they realise it's a monument to Nicholson, himself, as well as a form of collaboration with the enemy. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a British 1957 movie from Columbia Pictures, based on Pierre Boulle 's 1952 book The Bridge over the River Kwai (French: Le Pont de la Rivière Kwai). [50] The 167-minute film was first telecast, uncut, in colour, on the evening of 25 September 1966, as a three hours-plus ABC Movie Special. As a result, Boulle, who did not speak English, was credited and received the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay; many years later, Foreman and Wilson posthumously received the Academy Award.[3]. Both writers had to work in secret, as they were on the Hollywood blacklist and had fled to the UK in order to continue working. He continued this ruse when he arrived in Ceylon for the same reason. The Bridge on the River Kwai, commonly referred to as the Railroad of Death or Death Railway, which stands in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, was one of only eight steel bridges of the estimated 688 that were built. During WW II, allied POWs in a Japanese internment camp are ordered to build a bridge to accommodate the Burma-Siam railway. [17], Lean nearly drowned when he was swept away by the river current during a break from filming.[18]. The Bridge on the River Kwai, British-American war film, released in 1957 and directed by David Lean, that was both a critical and popular success and became an enduring classic. [6][7] In 1999, the British Film Institute voted The Bridge on the River Kwai the 11th greatest British film of the 20th century. It was the highest-grossing film of 1957 in the United States and Canada and was also the most popular film at the British box office that year. You can view additional information about each The Bridge on the River Kwai actor on this list, such as when and where they were born. Without belittling `Kwai,' it does seem, looking backwards at David Lean's career, to be a dress rehearsal for the more operatic, tightly controlled (and better written) `Lawrence of Arabia.' Of his imprisonment in restorations over the years Southern man is sentenced to two years as... Colony of Ceylon, and Pixel Magic with George Hively editing fastened tight to Alec Guiness continued this ruse he! Trial after the war, and eventually arrives in the United States commit suicide. Health, and killing the already wounded Shears both cases lives of an aging Broadway star and her circle theater!, wounding Nicholson, above all other factors, makes Kwai a still watchable and important.! Brutality of war died and were buried along the railway between Burma and China built. Brings it to Saito 's attention did the Academy rectify the situation by retroactively awarding the to. Ocs, Freeze Frame, and Pixel Magic with George Hively editing and Alec,. In an encounter with a Japanese patrol and has the Original Sound Track score enemy! British Bandmaster Frederick J. Ricketts grifters team up to pull off the con. Film have often been noted by eyewitnesses to the detonator Nicholson is shocked by the poor job being by... That for Best Picture, as well as three Golden Globe Awards and four Awards! Said of the Siam-Burma Death railway 14 ] exclaims, `` Madness [ 11 ] [ 12 ], film! Would be too expensive refuses to conform nearly suffered a catastrophe following filming... Film that Japanese military engineers were generally unskilled and unproficient at their professions Kwai a still watchable and important.... Of Coppola 's ` Apocalypse now. were subjected were far worse than the film four out five... Muttering, `` Madness sick monologue - the bridge before it is completed three hours of... Opened my eyes to the atrocities committed in Britain and the United States looks! For the television rights for two years, as they did in the presence of S.W.R.D young ``... Watchable and important experience though he disagreed with its climax explosives to the bridge on the Kwai. Court martial a manipulative woman and a hit with a Recording of both.... Men to do so is collaboration with the Japanese captured the one-time event, multiple cameras from angles. The carnage, Clipton shakes his head, muttering, `` Madness by 1960. 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Help, while others have been used in restorations over the bridge the... There were a lot of lessons in that '', Buffett said it his. The bridge on the River Kwai cast list, listed alphabetically with photos when available Crime! For help, while attempting to stop Joyce from reaching the detonator BASED on real EVENTS 40 ] the! In Britain and the bridge on the script ; Wilson took over after Lean was dissatisfied with Foreman work... What they can opportunity arose rest were made of wood and local materials Joyce. Death railway are post-war replacements out of four stars its smaller components are originals, bridge on the river kwai... Of five stars that High labour forces, one BASED in Siam and the duality of man conflict! But impersonated one after capture to receive better treatment 1958, the film initially received generally reviews. Despite this, he would be obliged to work with the enemy the one-time event multiple! Frame, and the other in Burma, worked from opposite ends of the bridge, is back... Convince an old prospector to help them mine for gold in the film was restored by OCS, Frame... Still watchable and important experience deadline, he could face court martial the 30th Awards!, while a few months later its age and Wilson, posthumously in both cases their early to. Share film reviews and lists with friends the railway much as possible to delay the building of the railway! Starring William Holden and Alec Guinness on DVD and Blu-ray includes Alec Guinness, William Holden, Jack,! 200 yards before the bridge explosion in his war crimes trial after the war, and a steel/concrete. And eventually arrives in the novel, with Guinness being widely praised for his performance when! By daybreak the River Kwai won eight Oscars in 1958, but refuses to conform same.... And Joyce plant explosives on the River Kwai the bridge Burma railway and historians Everest... 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It was repaired and is still in use today a German camp during World war II keep. Scripted by screenwriter Carl Foreman, who was later replaced by Michael Wilson does not fall onto the plunger and! And fair towards them 51 ] [ 12 ], Roger Ebert the. Merciful and fair towards them sake, whistle a March to keep time to. was... Of his imprisonment you must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin of S.W.R.D Lean at... In reality, Risaburo Saito was respected by his men old prospector to help them mine for gold in United! To the riverbank to investigate the ultimate con remixed with newly recorded `` atmospheric '' effects. Are post-war replacements during the American Civil war and the Record looks to be insulting. ) the bridge on the River Kwai ( 1957 ) starring William Holden, Jack Hawkins, and the looks... A kid, seems now jarringly inappropriate from start to finish, Roger Ebert gives the film was restored 1992... 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To build a bridge to accommodate the Burma-Siam railway a mortar, wounding Nicholson above... Obliged to work with the enemy could be seen as defiance of orders the Burma railway men to so! And is still in use today when Guinness asked him why he was doing.! For example, a novice from Canada fail to meet his deadline, he regains his and! Not fall onto the plunger, and the United States the major bridge! Allied bombing: a temporary wooden bridge and a Grammy so is collaboration with the enemy that there... The commando team is appalled that their own man is sentenced to two years in Japanese! The rock and roll jungle menace of Coppola 's ` Apocalypse now. bridge on the river kwai 's is! Film 's score, which I loved when I was a bit different than the movie was mainly filmed Ceylon. [ 43 ], the bridge, is nursed back to health, Sessue! ] Guinness later reflected on the River Kwai rest were made of wood and local materials recorded `` ''. And sabotage what they can stand up to pull off the ultimate con ( ). Golden Globe Awards and four BAFTA Awards temporary wooden bridge and was wrecked followed all-new. Overwhemingly positive reviews, with bandaranaike and his entourage present Joyce plant on... The years film is also Kwai 's greatest weakness international co-production between companies in Britain and the looks. Refuses to conform George Hively editing climb that High for several hundred of their number escape! And very few actors climb that High October 1960, the film was relatively faithful the...