The Bridge on the River Kwai

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Director David Lean's masterful 1957 realization of Pierre Boulle's novel remains a benchmark for war films, and a deeply absorbing movie by any standard--like most of Lean's canon, The Bridge on the River Kwai achieves a richness in theme, narrative, and characterization that transcends genre.

The story centers on a Japanese prison camp isolated deep in the jungles of Southeast Asia, where the remorseless Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa) has been charged with building a vitally important railway bridge. His clash of wills with a British prisoner, the charismatic Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness), escalates into a duel of honor, Nicholson defying his captor's demands to win concessions for his troops. How the two officers reach a compromise, and Nicholson becomes obsessed with building that bridge, provides the story's thematic spine; the parallel movement of a team of commandos dispatched to stop the project, led by a British major (Jack Hawkins) and guided by an American escapee (William Holden), supplies the story's suspense and forward momentum.

Shot on location in Sri Lanka, Kwai moves with a careful, even deliberate pace that survivors of latter-day, high-concept blockbusters might find lulling--Lean doesn't pander to attention deficit disorders with an explosion every 15 minutes. Instead, he guides us toward the intersection of the two plots, accruing remarkable character details through extraordinary performances. Hayakawa's cruel camp commander is gradually revealed as a victim of his own sense of honor, Holden's callow opportunist proves heroic without softening his nihilistic edge, and Guinness (who won a Best Actor Oscar, one of the production's seven wins) disappears as only he can into Nicholson's brittle, duty-driven, delusional psychosis. His final glimpse of self-knowledge remains an astonishing moment--story, character, and image coalescing with explosive impact.

Like Lean's Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai has been beautifully restored and released in a highly recommended widescreen version that preserves its original aspect ratio. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

Revisionist History of Camp 16.......2007-08-29

The film shows a tropical jungle, then we see a railroad. There are graves along the railway. There is a settlement, these workers are captured British army men. A new group enters the camp whistling a song. The Japanese Colonel Saito welcomes them and tells how they will build a railroad from Bangkok to Rangoon. Escape is impossible. "Be happy in your work." There will be no escape committee, the odds are against it. The British commander will cooperate with the Japanese since they were ordered to surrender.

There is a crisis when the British commander Colonel Nicholson refuses to order the officers to perform manual labor, even after a deadly threat. They are left standing in the hot sun without water or food until they are sent to the punishment hut. But a few try to escape across the river. Their bodies are brought back, except for one man who fell into the river. Trees are cut to build a timber bridge. The project is behind schedule, Colonel Saito blames the workers. Saito makes an offer to Colonel Nicholson: cooperate or the hospital will be closed.

Commander Shears makes it to a village and is rescued. Colonel Saito proclaims a holiday and gives the prisoners Red Cross parcels (saving them from starvation). There is a problem in building the bridge. Colonel Nicholson is brought to meet Colonel Saito, and they reach a "proper solution" after a dramatic confrontation. An amnesty ends the stalemate. Work will continue with the British officers in charge. [The film claims the British could do a better job than the Japanese through organization and efficiency. The future would tell more about this.] New plans are adopted.

British Force 316 asks Shears for help with their project. Major Warden explains their use of "plastic". This force will parachute a team to destroy the bridge. "Commander Shears" explains himself, and gets another unexpected surprise. "Good Show!" Back at the prison camp they are all happy in their work, morale is high because they are doing a proper job. [Sarcasm here?] Force 316 parachutes into the jungle, but there is a problem. They must take a roundabout route to their destination. [This is also safer than a regular path.] Colonel Nicholson is totally devoted to finishing the bridge, he even asks patients from the hospital to volunteer! Birds fly into the air, the unexpected happens. They arrive at the bridge and plan its destruction. They must wait until the scheduled train arrives on the bridge. The sentries pacing over the bridge add to the suspense. Nature presents a complication. Colonel Nicholson sees a strange object and follows the lead to an ironic ending.

Pierre Boulle wrote many novels. What changes were made for this film? Does the bridge resemble the famous railway bridge on the Firth of Forth?

awesome.......2007-07-31

This is what my husband wanted and he loves it. I thought it was a little pricey.

William Holden on the River Kwai.......2007-07-14

The movie is just as I remembered it. A wonderful movie that won many academy awards. A must see.

Best Film Ever, Test Of Wills & Character........2007-05-06

This unique film had everything you could want except romance. Action, suspense, special effects, an intruiging story, themes, cinematography, diection, & locales. This is the story of a Japanese POW camp in Burma in World War two. Commanded by Colonel Saito {Sessue Hayakawa}, the mainly British captives are being used as slave labor for the construction of a railroad bridge that will link malaysia to Rangoon over the river Kwai. The Japanese commander's life depends on it's successful completion. Colonel Nicholson the British commander is a stickler for rules & when Saito declares that officers will work as well as enlisted men, he sites the Geneva Convention restrictions on officers doing manual labor. When they refuse to work, Saito has them thrown into ovens, metal containers that bake in the tropical sweltering heat. After much angst Saito relents since the bridge is behind schedule. There's a fine mix of camera shots from all possible angles showing the grinding heat draining the overworked & malnurished men, as well as breathtaking panoramas. Above all positives of this excellent film were the performances by all concerned. Alec Guinness as Col. nicholson was beyond "PERFECTION." He totally absorbs the characters essence & then manifests it. I can't think of any actor who deserved his/her OSCAR more. William Holden is also superlative in his scenes, as were stern Sessue Hayakawa & the enigmatic Jack Hawkins. The destruction of the bridge & train was a one shot chance done very well. I saw this film on TV as a young boy. Now seeing it again on DVD, it was as enthralling as ever. Buy it, you won't be disapointed.

The bridge on the river kwai.......2007-04-02

Classic movie and glad it finally came on DVD

The Bridge on the River Kwai (Limited Edition)

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Revisionist History of Camp 16
awesome
William Holden on the River Kwai
Best Film Ever, Test Of Wills & Character.
The bridge on the river kwai

The Bridge on the River Kwai (Limited Edition)
Starring: James Donald , Harold Goodwin , Alec Guinness , Jack Hawkins , and Sessue Hayakawa
Director: David Lean
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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Accessories:

The Bridge On The River Kwai: An Original Soundtrack Recording

ASIN: B00003CX97
Release Date: 2000-11-21

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Customer Reviews:

Revisionist History of Camp 16.......2007-08-29

awesome.......2007-07-31

This is what my husband wanted and he loves it. I thought it was a little pricey.

William Holden on the River Kwai.......2007-07-14

The movie is just as I remembered it. A wonderful movie that won many academy awards. A must see.

Best Film Ever, Test Of Wills & Character........2007-05-06

The bridge on the river kwai.......2007-04-02

Classic movie and glad it finally came on DVD

WWII 60th Anniversary Collection (The Guns of Navarone/From Here to Eternity/The Bridge on the River Kwai) (Includes Collectible Scrapbook)

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WWII 60th Anniversary Collection (The Guns of Navarone/From Here to Eternity/The Bridge on the River Kwai) (Includes Collectible Scrapbook)
Starring: Gregory Peck , David Niven , Anthony Quinn , Stanley Baker , and Anthony Quayle
Director: J. Lee Thompson , Alexander Mackendrick , and Fred Zinnemann
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000ASDFHC
Release Date: 2005-10-25

The David Lean Collection (Lawrence of Arabia / The Bridge on the River Kwai / A Passage to India)

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Defective Product
Triple Guinness
Great Classics

The David Lean Collection (Lawrence of Arabia / The Bridge on the River Kwai / A Passage to India)
Starring: David Lean
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B0000AGQ72
Release Date: 2003-09-09

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Lawrence of Arabia
In David Lean's masterful "desert classic," Peter O'Toole gives a star-making performance as T.E. Lawrence, the eccentric British officer who united the desert tribes of Arabia against the Turks during World War I. Lean orchestrates sweeping battle sequences and breathtaking action, but the film is really about the adventures and trials that transform Lawrence into a legendary man of the desert. Lean traces this transformation on a vast canvas of awesome physicality; no other movie has captured the expanse of the desert with such scope and grandeur. Equally important is the psychology of Lawrence, who remains an enigma even as we grasp his identification with the desert. Perhaps the greatest triumph of this landmark film is that Lean has conveyed the romance, danger, and allure of the desert with such physical and emotional power. It's a film about a man who leads one life but is irresistibly drawn to another, where his greatness and mystery are allowed to flourish in equal measure. --Jeff Shannon

The Bridge on the River Kwai
Director David Lean's masterful 1957 realization of Pierre Boulle's novel remains a benchmark for war films, and a deeply absorbing movie by any standard--like most of Lean's canon, The Bridge on the River Kwai achieves a richness in theme, narrative, and characterization that transcends genre. The story centers on a Japanese prison camp isolated deep in the jungles of Southeast Asia, where the remorseless Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa) has been charged with building a vitally important railway bridge. His clash of wills with a British prisoner, the charismatic Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness), escalates into a duel of honor, Nicholson defying his captor's demands to win concessions for his troops. How the two officers reach a compromise, and Nicholson becomes obsessed with building that bridge, provides the story's thematic spine; the parallel movement of a team of commandos dispatched to stop the project, led by a British major (Jack Hawkins) and guided by an American escapee (William Holden), supplies the story's suspense and forward momentum. Shot on location in Sri Lanka, Kwai moves with a careful, even deliberate pace that survivors of latter-day, high-concept blockbusters might find lulling--Lean doesn't pander to attention deficit disorders with an explosion every 15 minutes. Instead, he guides us toward the intersection of the two plots, accruing remarkable character details through extraordinary performances. Hayakawa's cruel camp commander is gradually revealed as a victim of his own sense of honor, Holden's callow opportunist proves heroic without softening his nihilistic edge, and Guinness (who won a Best Actor Oscar, one of the production's seven wins) disappears as only he can into Nicholson's brittle, duty-driven, delusional psychosis. His final glimpse of self-knowledge remains an astonishing moment--story, character, and image coalescing with explosive impact. --Sam Sutherland

A Passage to India
This adaptation of E.M. Forster's mysterious tale of British racism in colonial India turned out to be master director David Lean's final film. Subtle and grand at the same time, Lean's adaptation is faithful to the book, rendering its blend of the mystical and the all-too human with exquisite precision. Judy Davis plays a young British woman traveling in India with her fiancé's mother. While visiting a tourist attraction, she has a frightening moment in a cave--one that she eventually spins from an instant of mental meltdown into a tale of a physical attack that ruins several lives. Lean captures Forster's sense of awe at the kind of ageless wisdom and inexplicable phenomena to be encountered in India, as well as the British tendency to dismiss it all as savage, rather than simply different. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

Defective Product.......2007-05-06

I regret that I have to return the Lean collection because the disc of Lawrence of Arabia is defective. And your instruction was to return the entire set. This is not the fault of Amazon but the fault of the manufacturers - Columbia Pictures and Sony. I had purchased an identical DVD of Lawwrence from a local electronics store and discovered that the disc was corrupted shortly after the start of the film's second half. I returned the disc to the store and was given another. It was corrupted in exactly the same place. That's when I ordered the Lean collection from Amazon in the hope of getting an uncorrupted disc of Lawrence. But, sad to say, the Lawrence disc in the Amazon trio of DVDs was also corrupted in precisely the same place. I am in the process of returning the collection in the hope of gaining a refund of the more than $40.00 I paid for the collection.

Triple Guinness.......2005-10-04

BRIDGE shows us a certain kind of international filmmaking when, after the war, big budget British pictures often had to haul in an American star or two to get financing. William Holden is certainly working hard in BRIDGE, but he seems as though he's panting in overdrive trying to keep up with the effortless cool of Alec Guinness and the other British stars. This trend is even more pronounced in LAWRENCE, made at a time when the studios were all in deep crisis and each individual movie had the power to make or break the studio financing it. It was a time of huge gambles, and occasionally one or two of them would pay off handsomely.

Kevin Brownlow's life of David Lean (1996) shows how Lean came to regard Alec Guinness as a sort of touchstone for good luck, using him whenever possible. (He went into RYAN'S DAUGHTER with a foreboding that proved eerily accurate; the picture had disappointing financial results--and in Lean's view he had failed to lure in Alec Guinness and that was the reason). In LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, Lean was faced with the challenge of bringing Guinness into the movie even though he (Guinness) had desperately wanted to play Lawrence himself, and had done so to great acclaim in the play Terence Rattigan wrote for him to showcase his powers in the part (ROSS was the name of Rattigan's drama).

In today's political climate it is sometimes said that Guinness was making a fool of himself trying to play men from different, "exotic" cultural backgrounds, particularly his Indian doctor in A PASSAGE TO INDIA, and many Indians have objected, arguing that there were thousands of authentically Indian actors who might have played the part with more ease than Guinness. When I watch the movie I get a disagreeable feeling when I hear Guinness trying to put over his sing-song voice. It's like a whole volume of Edward Said flooding the screen with "I told you so." It's not that he's a bad actor, but he doesn't convince. He seems to be making fun of South Asian people by mocking their accents, not to mention their skin color. Same with LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, though not so bad. It's a thorny question and I have no answers, only to observe that Guinness was one of those proud men who think they can play anything--and mostly they're correct.

Great Classics.......2003-12-12

This is one of the best collections I own. If you love all the classic movies, definitely go for this one!

The True Story of the Bridge on the River Kwai (History Channel)

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True Story of the Bridge on the River Kwai

The True Story of the Bridge on the River Kwai (History Channel)
Starring: Edward Woodward
Director: David de Vries
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AABL12
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Description

The film "The Bridge on the River Kwai" dramatized the WWII story of the Thailand-Burma Railway, yet it was largely fictional. Over 65,000 Allied P.O.W.s battled torture, starvation, and disease to hack the 255-mile railway out of harsh jungle for the Japanese. Finishing in only 14 months, many never returned from "The Railway of Death".

Customer Reviews:

True Story of the Bridge on the River Kwai.......2007-02-22

This story is historically accurate - no punches pulled. It's not a "Hollywood" fairy tale entertainment as the 1957 movie turned out to be - this is real and worth adding to your library. Not only is it a great historical epic, but it also pays tribute to the hundreds/thousands of men who died building not one, but two bridges over the River Kwai. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in history of WWII in the Pacific Theater.

Average customer rating:

Revisionist History of Camp 16
awesome
William Holden on the River Kwai
Best Film Ever, Test Of Wills & Character.
The bridge on the river kwai

The Bridge on the River Kwai [Region 2]
Starring: William Holden , Jack Hawkins , Alec Guinness , Sessue Hayakawa , and James Donald
Director: David Lean
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000050GSA

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Customer Reviews:

Revisionist History of Camp 16.......2007-08-29

awesome.......2007-07-31

This is what my husband wanted and he loves it. I thought it was a little pricey.

William Holden on the River Kwai.......2007-07-14

The movie is just as I remembered it. A wonderful movie that won many academy awards. A must see.

Best Film Ever, Test Of Wills & Character........2007-05-06

The bridge on the river kwai.......2007-04-02

Classic movie and glad it finally came on DVD

The Bridge on the River Kwai (Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Revisionist History of Camp 16
awesome
William Holden on the River Kwai
Best Film Ever, Test Of Wills & Character.
The bridge on the river kwai

The Bridge on the River Kwai (Collector's Edition)
Starring: William Holden , Jack Hawkins , Alec Guinness , Sessue Hayakawa , and James Donald
Director: David Lean
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000MGTQ7A
Release Date: 2007-05-08

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Product Description

When British POWs build a vital railway bridge in enemy-occupied Burma, Allied commandos are assigned to destroy it in David Lean's epic World War II adventure The Bridge on the River Kwai. Spectacularly produced, The Bridge on the River Kwai captured the imagination of the public and won seven 1957 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Alec Guinness), and Best Director. Even it's theme song, an old WWII whistling tune, the Colonel Bogey March, became a massive hit.The Bridge on the River Kwai continues today as one of the most memorable cinematic experiences of all time.

Customer Reviews:

Revisionist History of Camp 16.......2007-08-29

awesome.......2007-07-31

This is what my husband wanted and he loves it. I thought it was a little pricey.

William Holden on the River Kwai.......2007-07-14

The movie is just as I remembered it. A wonderful movie that won many academy awards. A must see.

Best Film Ever, Test Of Wills & Character........2007-05-06

The bridge on the river kwai.......2007-04-02

Classic movie and glad it finally came on DVD

DVD TRUE STORY OF THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI AAE-72053 THE HISTORY CHANNEL

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DVD TRUE STORY OF THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI AAE-72053 THE HISTORY CHANNEL

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The Bridge on the River Kwai

ASIN: B000FBC048

Doctor Zhivago - 2 DVD Special Multi-Language Edition [Non-US Format, PAL, Region 2, Import]

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Doctor Zhivago - 2 DVD Special Multi-Language Edition [Non-US Format, PAL, Region 2, Import]
Director: David Lean
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Product Features:

Includes bonus features: Interviews, documentaries
Audio Tracks: English, French
Subtitles: English French, Italian, Dutch, Arabic,
Spanish, German, Romanian, Bulgarian

ASIN: B000UY2FM2

Product Description

Please note that this is a PAL, Region 2 DVD and requires PAL or multi-system capable DVD players. It will not play on standard North American DVD players. Audio Tracks: English, French. Subtitles: English French, Italian, Dutch, Arabic, Spanish, German, Romanian, Bulgarian ----------------------------------- Synopsis: A stunning anamorphic widescreen print is the ideal way to appreciate David Lean's craftsmanship and this movie's glorious, wintry cinematography. Maurice Jarre's "Lara's Theme" and the rest of his patchwork score can be heard in a music-only track, while Omar Sharif is joined by Lean's widow Sandra and Rod Steiger for an intermittent commentary. The second bonus disc contains a good hour-long making-of documentary plus 10 shorter contemporary documentaries giving various insights into the location shooting and the cast and crew. But it's the sheer beauty of the picture that will astonish and make this disc forever treasurable.

Average customer rating:

Revisionist History of Camp 16
awesome
William Holden on the River Kwai
Best Film Ever, Test Of Wills & Character.
The bridge on the river kwai

The Bridge on the River Kwai [Region 2]
Starring: William Holden , Jack Hawkins , Alec Guinness , Sessue Hayakawa , and James Donald
Director: David Lean
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004YN4L

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Customer Reviews:

Revisionist History of Camp 16.......2007-08-29

awesome.......2007-07-31

This is what my husband wanted and he loves it. I thought it was a little pricey.

William Holden on the River Kwai.......2007-07-14

The movie is just as I remembered it. A wonderful movie that won many academy awards. A must see.

Best Film Ever, Test Of Wills & Character........2007-05-06

The bridge on the river kwai.......2007-04-02

Classic movie and glad it finally came on DVD

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