X
- 1957
- Approved
- Columbia Pictures
- 2 h 41 m
- 1957
- Approved
- Columbia Pictures
- 2 h 41 m
Summary After settling his differences with a Japanese PoW camp commander, a British colonel co-operates to oversee his men's construction of a railway bridge for their captors - while oblivious to a plan by the Allies to destroy it.
Directed By: David Lean
Written By: Pierre Boulle, Carl Foreman, Michael Wilson
- 1957
- Approved
- Columbia Pictures
- 2 h 41 m
- 1957
- Approved
- Columbia Pictures
- 2 h 41 m
The Bridge on the River Kwai
8.3
Where to Watch
Summary After settling his differences with a Japanese PoW camp commander, a British colonel co-operates to oversee his men's construction of a railway bridge for their captors - while oblivious to a plan by the Allies to destroy it.
Directed By: David Lean
Written By: Pierre Boulle, Carl Foreman, Michael Wilson
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
88
88% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
13% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
88
88% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
13% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Director David Lean achieves a fine balance of creating complex characters from a fine cast, while keeping the pace up throughout this long movie.
This intelligent and exciting WWII tale, masterfully helmed by Lean (at the start of his "epic" period), features a splendid performance from Guinness as Col. Nicholson, a British officer who has surrendered with his regiment to the Japanese in Burma in 1943.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 94 User Ratings
8.3
91% Positive
86 Ratings
86 Ratings
6% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
2% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 94 User Ratings
8.3
91% Positive
86 Ratings
86 Ratings
6% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
2% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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The post-World War II cinematic landscape is littered with big-budget movies about the conflict and the toll it took upon those who participated. Some of those pictures have become timeless classics and some are nearly forgotten. Few, if any, are as simultaneously thrilling, awe-inspiring, and tragic as The Bridge on the River Kwai
A gripping drama, expertly put together and handled with skill in all departments. Its potency stems only partly from the boxoffice draw of William Holden and, to a lesser degree, Alec Guinness. What elevates “Kwai” to the rank of an artistic and financial triumph for producer Sam Spiegel is the engrossing entertainment it purveys, including some scenes which will be listed as among the best of film memorabilia.
The story in the jungle moves ahead neatly, economically, powerfully.
If there's a misstep here, it would be in the character of camp medic Maj. Clipton (James Donald). His overwrought dialogue---especially some Heston-like cries of "Madness!" during the finale---is too much of an on-the-nose contrast to the story's necessarily clinical existentialism. It slightly dilutes the film's piercing grandeur, but the nit is easily enough picked.
For what it is, it ain't bad, though it serves mainly as an illustration of the ancient quandary of revisionist moviemakers: if all you do is systematically invert cliches, you simply end up creating new ones.
The epic WW2 movie about a bunch of British P.O.W and their efforts to built a bridge and the efforts of a bunch of bold allied soldiers to bring it down and change the course of war. One of essentials of genre.
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This film is very lightly based on a true story of British prisoners of war who served in the construction of Indo-Chinese railways during World War II. Of course, the film (as well as, perhaps, the book on which it's based) takes a lot of creative liberties and isn't entirely stick to historical truth, which is normally bad but, in this case, is mitigated by the quality of the film itself. In fact, the film seeks to use this incident to portray the madness of war honor: on one hand, we have a Japanese officer who will have to commit suicide if he doesn't complete the bridge in required deadline; on the other side, a daring English colonel who literally wants to take all by the book and demands the military status of the prisoners respected by his captors. Both collide at first but then end up joining forces, in a way that we don't even realize what side the English are because their pride demands that the bridge be ready on time and be very good! Alec Guinness is the most notable actor, with a truly exceptional role and performance, but William Holden and Sessue Hayakawa also deserve applause for the way they stand. There are other actors who have been great but I highlight these by the psychological game of their characters. There is a lot of psychology in this movie and its merit of this trio. Cinematography is also good, with warm light and colors giving us the true feel of the infernal heat of rainforest. Another point I want to highlight is the costumes, especially prisoners. An army of rags. A final word to Colonel Bogey March who, with the film, became one of the most famous military marches in the world.
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Some arresting location shots take centre stage in this pow movie that appears to somewhat explore the will of the human spirit to endure and overcome challenging hardships. Sadly it hasn't aged well and the slow pacing massively detracts from any tension buildup that might have improved the more dramatic sections of the screenplay.
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Un grand film de guerre ou plutôt sur la guerre et ses contingences, à savoir celle notamment d'un camp de prisonniers où l'on se demande parfois qui sont les prisonniers et qui sont les geôliers... Car si le Japonais est rigide et inflexible, l'Anglais est perfide et sournois. L'Anglais est également flegmatique et entre dans le camp au pas cadencé en sifflotant, très soucieux des apparences et de... l'honneur ou quelque chose comme ça.
On se demande donc si c'est du lard ou du cochon, du pudding ou du sushi... sans doute un peu des deux, mon colonel. Le Japonais m'a d'ailleurs l'air un peu mou du genou, voire dépressif : moi, j'aurais commencé par faire un exemple et procédé à une décapitation au katana de quelques volontaires involontaires choisis au hasard. Après tout, le colonel nippon (ni mauvais) se balade toujours avec son coupe-chou...
Tout cela est un peu drôle donc mais en même temps très sérieux et solennel, surtout que David Lean connaît son affaire pour donner de la grandeur à ses plans : il utilise le cinémascope comme personne mais aussi malheureusement une épouvantable "nuit américaine"... Les acteurs pour leur part sont excellents, le fameux trio Guinness-Holden-Hawkins fait des merveilles, l'acteur japonais également d'ailleurs. Holden qui est bien plus que le ballâtre de service qu'on aurait pu craindre, grâce à son personnage inattendu en fin de compte.
Hélas, mille fois hélas, le film souffre d'un gros problème de rythme dans son dernier tiers : tout-à-coup, il se met à pédaler dans la semoule et fait du surplace : on a alors qu'une envie, lui donner un gros coup de pied au cul avec l'avance rapide de la télécommande. Mais ce n'est pas tout : tandis que la fin daigne arriver enfin, celle-ci se ridiculise et le colonel anglais fait n'importe quoi parce que dans le scénario, on a fait n'importe quoi. Je doute que la fin du bouquin de Pierre Boulle soit aussi... grotesque.
En conclusion, nous avons là un beau film mais qui s'égare beaucoup trop dans ses longueurs et sa fin désordonnée. Dommage, j'ai bien rigolé au début mais aussi au milieu lorsqu'Hawkins manipule si perfidement (c'est-à-dire si britanniquement) Holden l'Américain.
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Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 7 Wins & 8 Nominations
Golden Globes, USA
• 3 Wins & 4 Nominations
National Board of Review, USA
• 5 Wins & 5 Nominations
