Directed by: David Lean
Released: 1957
Country: United States , United Kingdom
Genres: War, Drama, Adventure
Main cast: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa, James Donald
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review
Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson is a stubborn and firm character, and so is his rival, Colonel Saito. David Lean's The Bridge on the River Kwai, is set during the World War II in a Japanese camp for prisoner-of-wars. This is not a violent war film; the war violence is really mild and the overall presentation is not violent at all, yet it is an intense film, and sometimes, overpowering.
Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa) has the orders to complete a bridge by a due date. He orders all the prisoners, including even the officers, to work on the bridge. But Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness) says that employing officers in such manual labor is strictly prohibited. But Colonel Saito is stubborn and firm in his decision. And so is Nicholson. And when Nicholson orders his officers not to join in the work, Saito keeps them all (including Nicholson) locked up.
But as mentioned, Nicholson can be extremely stubborn as well. He won't give up his decision. And finally, after a rather long time, Saito agrees, because he has to complete the bridge in time. And if such inconvenience and disagreement continues, there would be more and more delay on the work.
Meanwhile, Commander Shears (William Holden) manages to escape from the camp. Soon, he manages to arrive in Ceylon. There, Major Warden asks him to help them to destroy the bridge that is being built. And after some hesitation, Shears agrees.
On the other hand, in the camp, Nicholson is working wholeheartedly and co-operating with Saito to build the bridge. And he is working with all his spirits. When asked by someone why he is working so hard on the bridge, Nicholson says that he wants to prove to the Japanese that they will never be able to break the spirits of the British. And one day, after the war, when trains will run over the bridge, people will know that the bridge was made by British soldiers, not by slaves of a prisoner-of-war camp.
The hard work of the prisoners in building the bridge, and the mission of Major Warden, Shears and the others with them, to destroy the bridge- is shown together, is merged together. The adventures of Warden and Shears and the others with them is very well told through the well-created situations and beauty, remarkable cinematography, locations, and score.
The very first scene, where a prisoner-of-war bribes a Japanese Commander so that the latter enlists him as sick (so that he doesn't have to participate in the constant manual labor), made me really very interested in the film. There was something so very remarkable about the storytelling, that it became very engrossing. So excellently acted and written and directed, the film sometimes can become overpowering. It remains engrossing throughout. One of the most memorable scenes is the scene after Colonel Saito changes his mind. The joy of the prisoners after hearing this declaration was so beautiful, so well-written. The climax is slightly disturbing yet can be so very emotional and intense!
Alec Guinness does justice to the character. The stubbornness, the firm determination of the character, all these are really very well-acted by Guinness. Also remarkable are William Holden, Jack Hawkins and Sessue Hayakawa.
The Bridge on the Rivers Kwai was an engrossing film throughout. Not my favorite war film, but I did love it.
4.5 out of 5
Released: 1957
Country: United States , United Kingdom
Genres: War, Drama, Adventure
Main cast: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa, James Donald
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review
Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson is a stubborn and firm character, and so is his rival, Colonel Saito. David Lean's The Bridge on the River Kwai, is set during the World War II in a Japanese camp for prisoner-of-wars. This is not a violent war film; the war violence is really mild and the overall presentation is not violent at all, yet it is an intense film, and sometimes, overpowering.
Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa) has the orders to complete a bridge by a due date. He orders all the prisoners, including even the officers, to work on the bridge. But Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness) says that employing officers in such manual labor is strictly prohibited. But Colonel Saito is stubborn and firm in his decision. And so is Nicholson. And when Nicholson orders his officers not to join in the work, Saito keeps them all (including Nicholson) locked up.
But as mentioned, Nicholson can be extremely stubborn as well. He won't give up his decision. And finally, after a rather long time, Saito agrees, because he has to complete the bridge in time. And if such inconvenience and disagreement continues, there would be more and more delay on the work.
Meanwhile, Commander Shears (William Holden) manages to escape from the camp. Soon, he manages to arrive in Ceylon. There, Major Warden asks him to help them to destroy the bridge that is being built. And after some hesitation, Shears agrees.
On the other hand, in the camp, Nicholson is working wholeheartedly and co-operating with Saito to build the bridge. And he is working with all his spirits. When asked by someone why he is working so hard on the bridge, Nicholson says that he wants to prove to the Japanese that they will never be able to break the spirits of the British. And one day, after the war, when trains will run over the bridge, people will know that the bridge was made by British soldiers, not by slaves of a prisoner-of-war camp.
The hard work of the prisoners in building the bridge, and the mission of Major Warden, Shears and the others with them, to destroy the bridge- is shown together, is merged together. The adventures of Warden and Shears and the others with them is very well told through the well-created situations and beauty, remarkable cinematography, locations, and score.
The very first scene, where a prisoner-of-war bribes a Japanese Commander so that the latter enlists him as sick (so that he doesn't have to participate in the constant manual labor), made me really very interested in the film. There was something so very remarkable about the storytelling, that it became very engrossing. So excellently acted and written and directed, the film sometimes can become overpowering. It remains engrossing throughout. One of the most memorable scenes is the scene after Colonel Saito changes his mind. The joy of the prisoners after hearing this declaration was so beautiful, so well-written. The climax is slightly disturbing yet can be so very emotional and intense!
Alec Guinness does justice to the character. The stubbornness, the firm determination of the character, all these are really very well-acted by Guinness. Also remarkable are William Holden, Jack Hawkins and Sessue Hayakawa.
The Bridge on the Rivers Kwai was an engrossing film throughout. Not my favorite war film, but I did love it.
4.5 out of 5
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