Title: The Bridge on the River Kwai
Starring: William Holden, Alec Guiness, Jack Hawkins
Directed by: David Leon
Year: 1957
Number on the AFI List: 36
Although criticized for being historically inaccurate, The Bridge on the River Kwai is a
fantastic war film that explores themes of perseverance, honor, and pride…that
eventually goes too far. Colonel Nichols (Alec Guiness) and his squad of
British soldiers have been captured and taken to a Japanese POW camp in order
to build the Burma-Siam railway bridge. Nichols is insistent on remaining in
command over his men, to the point that he and all of his commanders underneath
him are placed in “hot boxes”
for over a month, while the rest of his men sabotage the building of the bridge.
Eventually, Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa), the commander of the POW camp,
gives into Nichols’ demand to be in charge, since he
is running out of time to get the bridge built. Nichols’
begins to view the project as a sign of British pride, and demands his men
build with excellence. At the same time, the allies are planning to blow up the
bridge once its finished. The movie builds to an explosive ending that leaves
many men, allied and Japanese, dead, and with Nichols’
bridge, and pride, in a heap of rubble at the bottom of the Kwai river.
This film explores many questions, including: how long
should a man suffer at the hands of his enemy for the sake of dignity? And if
he wins, can he avoid working in favor of the enemy and forget his loyalty to his
country? How long before pride leads to
disgrace? What seems honorable is actually a snare. The movie ends with
haunting laughs from the British soldiers as everything goes awry. I was left
saying “wow…wow…WOW.”
Madness. True madness.
Favorite moment: The ending.
Will I Watch it Again: YES.
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