The ending is quite suspenseful as shears has to confront nicholson and its not a foregone conclusion which way the film will go. In fact, the entire construction project cost the lives of perhaps 16,000 allied. The film uses the historical setting of the construction of the burma railway in 19421943. 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. They are to replace prisoners who died working on the death railway between. The bridge on the river kwai quotes, movie quotes movie. Because its adaptation for the pierre boulle book and him being the author of the original planet of the apes books. Is the movie the bridge on the river kwai historically. The region has become a major tourist and resort area. This entry was posted in asia filming locations and tagged allied war cemetery, bangkok day trips, be wary of thai tours, bridge on the river kwai, death railway, jeath museum, obiwan kenobi, sai yok noi waterfall, where was bridge on the river kwai filmed. However, the true history of what really happened during the building of the bridge over the river kwai has almost been erased by the popularity of the movie. The bridge on the river kwai 1957, the memorable, epic world war ii adventureaction, antiwar drama, was the first of director david leans major multimillion dollar, widescreen super.
A product of its times written in 1954, kwai is both stereotypical and stiff in the telling of a 1942, wwii, pacific theatre event. The bridge on the river kwai simple english wikipedia. The plot details and characters are largely fictional, and were based on a novel that used the historical building of the railway during wwii by the japanese using prisoner labor as the setting for the. The bridge on the river kwai novel by boulle britannica. British and american officers plot to blow up the structure, but the commander of the bridges construction has different plans.
During shooting of a scene in which a japanese soldier falls from the bridge, stuntman frankie howard was swept away by the strong current, as was prop technician tommy early when he dove in after howard. The cast included william holden, jack hawkins, alec guinness, and sessue hayakawa. Most of the railway, though, was dismantled after the war. The bridge on the river kwai is the first david lean film i ever watched. Jun 26, 2007 the bridge on the river kwai 1957 trailer. The bridge on the river kwai, british american war film 1957 directed by david lean that won seven academy awards. Alec guinness plays captain crawford, the commander of a. A big and excellent film with a near perfect beginning and ending. When a new group of british soldiers comes to the pow camp, their leader colonel nicholson refuses to be treated with anything less than the respect he deserves as an officer. The last words in david leans the bridge on the river kwai are madness.
Perhaps goes with one of the general themes that war is madness, played out more definitively in apocalypse now, which i think borrows from bridge over river kwai. The story is fictional but uses the construction of the burma railway, in 19421943, as its historical setting, and is partly based on pierre boulles own life experience working in malaysia rubber. The bridge on the river kwai opens in a japanese prisonerofwar camp in burma in 1943. Is a war movie more about psychological warfare instead of just being about the big battles. It is pure hollywood, distorted, sanitised and tame. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article requires login. The bridge on the river kwai is a film directed by david lean with william holden, alec guinness, jack hawkins, james donald, year.
Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the bridge on the river kwai near you. Plot during world war ii in burma, the british colonel nicholson and his regiment surrender to the japanese troops. Although the river posing as the kwai in the film may have made for a more photogenic location, the strong currents nearly claimed several lives. Dec 12, 2008 bridge on the river kwai theme from the movie.
British prisoners of war arrive at the japanese camp 16 in the malayan jungle. A portrait of the clash of wills between british pow officer alec guinness and traditionbound japanese officer sessue hayakawa over the building of a jungle railway bridge during wwii. The bridge on the river kwai 1957 plot synopsis imdb. True story of the bridge on the river kwai 1996 survivors of the death railway as they describe the 250mile bangkokrangoon railroad constructed by the japanese during ww ii, were shocked by the images portrayed in the hollywood movie.
Thats not only the theme, but also the gist of the films parallel plot, which is drawn. The bridge on the river kwai is a gripping drama, expertly put together and handled with skill in all departments. The thai river kwai can be seen in the vietnam sequences of michael ciminos oscarwinning the deer hunter. British pows in burma are employed by the japanese to build a bridge. Laura dern explains why shes so excited to return as ellie satler in jurassic world 3. They are held prisoners in a labor camp ruled by colonel saito in the middle of the jungle. Alec guinness plays captain crawford, the commander of a british warship who clashes with. The bridge on the river kwai is a british 1957 movie from columbia pictures, based on pierre boulles 1952 book the bridge over the river kwai french. One, colonel saito sessue hayakawa is charge of a japanese pow camp and has orders to use the prisoners in his camp to complete a bridge over the kwai at any cost. British ww2 prisoners of war are given the task, by their japanese captors, of building a railway bridge in a harsh asian jungle. The drama becomes unbearable as three commandos methodically plant the explosives. The bridge on the river kwai synopsis favorite theater button. David lean won the first of two academy awards for best director for this epic portrait of the clash of wills between a british pow, and a traditionbound japanese officer over the building of a railway bridge in the jungle during wwii. But unbeknownst to either is a british plot to blow up the bridge.
Ending dialog in the bridge on the river kwai movies and tv. William holden is the cynical american pow who is forced to trek back to destroy the bridge. But the reality was a bit different than the movie. Three stars for the bridge over the river kwai by pierre boulle. Despite its grand, oscarbait stature, the 1957 epic subtly develops its themes about the irrationality of honor and the hypocrisy of britains class system without ever compromising its thrilling war narrative. Its potency stems only partly from the boxoffice draw of william holden and, to. Apr 28, 2017 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. I have actually seen the bridge on the river kwai before, but i knew i didnt understand it. Part of the puzzle is caused by the films shifting points of view. The bridge on the river kwai 1957 directed by david. When colonel nicholson detects the fuses, he demonstrates his version of intense pride which is not much. Plot summary for the bridge on the river kwai 1957, plus mistakes, quotes, trivia and more. The movie was mainly filmed in ceylon now sri lanka and also in england.
In the war movie, the bridge on the river kwai 1957, at the end major warden has a brief dialog with the women porters. In the end much of what people did in the film did not make sense in their attempt to fight the war. I love when this opportunity comes around, to revisit a movie i dismissed when i first saw it usually preblog. The bridge on the river kwai 1957 directed by david lean. During ww ii, allied pows in a japanese internment camp are ordered to build a bridge to accommodate the burmasiam railway. Although the films two most important characters are both mad, the hero more than the villain, were not quite certain what is intended by that final dialogue. Bridge on the river kwai plot hole in the ending films. Many historical inaccuracies in the film have often been noted by eyewitnesses to the building of the real burma railway and historians. The bridge on the river kwai opens in a japanese prisonerofwar camp in burma in 1943, where a battle of wills rages between camp commander. British pows build a railway bridge across the river kwai for their japanese captors, oblivious of the allies plans to destroy it. The bridge on the river kwai, britishamerican war film.
The bridge on the river kwai 1957, the memorable, epic world war ii adventureaction, antiwar drama, was the first of director david leans major multimillion dollar, widescreen superspectaculars his later epics included lawrence of arabia 1962 and doctor zhivago 1965. The famous bridge on the river kwai is located in thailands kanchanaburi province, at the city of kanchanaburi, which is 128 klms west of the city of bangkok. Many former pows will scowl at the mere mention of the famous 1957 hollywood movie that starred william holden and alec guiness. The best quotes from the bridge on the river kwai 1957. Unknown to nicholson, an allied demolition team are planning a spectacular opening for.
There are many rumors about the casting of the movie, but most sources claim that charles laughton was the original. In order to build a bridge on the river kwai in a limited amount of time, the japanese colonel wants to employ not only the english prisoners but also the officials. In khwae noi river and in pierre boulles novel the bridge on the river kwai 1952 and the motion picture of the same name 1957. In reality, the actual bridge for the burma railway depicted in the film. The bridge on the river kwai 1957 david lean synopsis. Pow officer alec guinness and traditionbound japanese officer sessue hayakawa over the building of a jungle railway bridge during wwii. Thanks to the film, the bridge, situated in the thai town of kanchanaburi a couple of hours drive from bangkok, is one of thailands most popular tourist attractions. T he bridge on the river kwai is david leans last film not to succumb to bloat. The bridge construction is going badly, however, and saito offers concessions to nicholson in an effort to get the structure completed on schedule. The bridge on the river kwai is a 1957 world war ii pow film directed by david lean, about the construction of the bridges over the river kwai, although its heavily fictionalised. Its based on the french novel the bridge over the river kwai by pierre boulle, of planet of the apes fame. The bridge on the river kwai, british american war film 1957.
The bridge on the river kwai examines the motivations of men held in captivity during world war ii. Then the movie dedicates its final moments to detonating its own stiff upper lip. The primary purpose of this location is so the japanese can use the labor of the p. The bridge on the river kwai 1957 plot summary imdb. And i personally adore that the bridge on the river kwai. Rounding out the package are a couple of nifty dvdrom features including a trivia game and a collection of maps and historical background and a reproduction of the 1957 souvenir book which amusingly gives producer sam spiegel the lions share of the credit for bringing kwai together. Join britannicas publishing partner program and our community of experts to gain a global audience for your work. Spike from the burma railroad when the japanese launched their lightning attacks in december. What makes the bridge over the river kwai such a classic. The bridge on the river kwai opens in a japanese prisonerofwar camp in burma in 1943, where a battle of wills rages between camp commander colonel saito sessue hayakawa and newly arrived british colonel nicholson alec guinness.
British pows are forced to build a railway bridge across the river kwai for their japanese captors. The bridge on the river kwai 1957 plot summary movie mistakes. The bridge on the river kwai 1957 adaptation of the pierre bouelle novel about pows in burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their japanese captors. Nicholson will not cooperate and finally insists that the bridge can be built only under his command. The best movie quotes, movie lines and film phrases by movie quotes. Feb 11, 2016 the bridge on the river kwai is mainly the story of a battle of wills between two men. Its like i get to see it for the first time all over again. The bridge on the river kwai simple english wikipedia, the. The next morning, when saito orders everyone, including officers, to work, nicholson commands his officers to stand fast. The bridge on the river kwai opens in a japanese prisonerofwar camp in burma in 1943, where a battle of wills rages between camp commander colonel saito sessue hayakawa and newly arrived.