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Sam Spiegel’s film, Bridge on the River Kwai is difficult to categorize. It is a war movie, but not the type that glorifies war. It has action and adventure, but to say it is an action/adventure film would be an overstatement. It is a criticism on the madness of war, on excessive pride, on the class system. Perhaps most intriguing, it is a character study on how several men, each a bit crazy in his own way, react to the circumstances of the war around them.
Kwai is set in the jungles of Burma in 1943. Though the opening sequence depicts what appears to be a tropical paradise, we soon learn that the setting is a Japanese Prisoner of War camp, ruled by the ruthless Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa). Saito has been ordered to build a railroad bridge over the river, with the prisoners providing the labor. Death rates are high because of illness, overwork, and, we are told, “Saito.”
When British Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness) marches into camp at the head of a new group of prisoners, it seems Saito may have met his match. Saito declares that all prisoners, enlisted men and officers alike, will perform manual labor to build the bridge. A battle of wills ensues when Nicholson insists that in accordance with the Geneva Convention, it is not permissible to require officers to do manual labor. Saito initially considers having all the officers gunned down, but instead leaves them standing in the blazing sun all day. He then has Nicholson put in a torture device known as “the oven,” and locks up the remaining officers. Nicholson will not relent, and eventually Saito releases him and agrees that the officers will not do manual labor, but must supervise the work. It seems Nicholson has won this round.
The characters of Nicholson and Saito embody their own personal and cultural views of honor. Our first glimpse of Nicholson is as he leads his men into the prison camp, marching properly (for the most part) and, lacking a military band, whistling the Colonel Bogey march. For Nicholson, rules, order, and discipline are what honor consists of. Saito has a very different view. When Nicholson offers him a copy of the Geneva Convention and speaks of the rules, Saito responds, “Do not speak to me of rules. This is war! This is not a game of cricket!” For Saito, honor means doing his part for the greater good of Japan, whatever that takes. His orders are to build the bridge. If the bridge is not completed by the given date, Saito’s honor dictates that he must commit suicide.
Even once the British officers begin supervising construction of the bridge, it still moves at a snail’s pace. Nicholson’s men, a company of engineers, can easily see problems such as the chosen location. They know they could build a better bridge. Nicholson convinces Saito to start over, allowing the British engineers to design and supervise the construction of the bridge from start to finish. Again, it seems he has prevailed…but has he? In his pride that his men can show British superiority by constructing a bridge that will last for many years, he is seemingly oblivious to the fact that doing so is aiding the enemy’s war effort. And as it becomes apparent the bridge will not be finished on time, he even gives in on the point of having officers do manual labor.
A second story line is that of the plot to blow up the bridge. Shears (William Holden) is an American POW who escapes from the work camp and recovers at a British military hospital. There he is recruited by British commando Major Warden (Jack Hawkins) to help with the plot. Shears, who generally does anything possible to get out of work, initially resists. However, when confronted with the news that Hawkins knows the truth about who he really is, Shears agrees. With two other officers, they set out, but absolutely nothing goes according to plan.
Eventually, the story lines come together. The bridge is finished, and the train loaded with Japanese officers and dignitaries is on its way. The commandos arrive and adjust their plan to the changed circumstances. What follows in the climactic scenes…well, let’s just say, it’s worth the wait.
Bridge on the River Kwai garnered seven Oscars in 1958, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Guinness), Best Director (David Lean), Best Cinematography (Jack Hildyard), Best Editing (Peter Taylor), Best Score (Malcolm Arnold), and Best Adapted Screenplay. This last one is rather interesting; the film’s actual writers, Michael Wilson (It’s a Wonderful Life, A Place in the Sun) and Carl Foreman (Home of the Brave, High Noon) were not credited at the time because they were on the infamous Hollywood blacklist of suspected communist sympathizers. Instead, Pierre Boulle, the French writer of the novel upon which Kwai was based, received the credit and the Oscar, even though he did not speak English and had no part in the screenwriting. Wilson and Foreman were retrospectively awarded the Oscar in 1984. Sadly, Wilson did not live to see this happen, and Foreman died the next day. Foreman’s and Wilson’s names were added to the film’s credits when it was restored in the 1990s.
Guinness is brilliant as Nicholson, the obsessively proper British military officer. Not only does Nicholson’s pride and professionalism come through clearly, so does his madness. Guinness, as Nicholson, does not even flinch when it is suggested that building such a fine bridge could be construed as collaborating with the enemy. His line of reasoning is so clear in his own mind that his explanation almost makes sense. When Nicholson hangs a placard on the completed bridge listing his own name as having overseen its construction, it is clear his pride in British ingenuity has been overcome by his pride in himself. Few actors could portray this kind of calm, cool madness and arrogance so convincingly.
Hayakawa (who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor) and Hawkins, as Major Warden, are also quite good. Hayakawa’s Saito is as mad as Nicholson in his own way, and we see his prideful resistance break down when he fears that the bridge will not be completed on time. Warden, like Nicholson, is intent on order and discipline. His madness is of a different brand, and a more conventional one, exactly the kind of suicidal single-mindedness we would expect of a commando. Though crazy in his own way, Warden clearly sees Nicholson’s madness for what it is. Hayakawa and Hawkins pull off their respective roles admirably.
William Holden delivers a solid performance as Shears. However, this character is not as well developed as the others, perhaps because it was added for the film and was not in the novel. Shears’ change from slacker to hero seems a bit improbable, and Holden’s performance does not quite overcome this. It seems he was added more for star power and box office appeal.
James Donald, as medical officer Major Clipton, should not be overlooked. In fact, it is Clipton who acts as the outside observer, the voice of reason, the conscience of the film. It is Clipton who prevents Saito from shooting the officers, and who suggests to Nicholson that building the bridge is abetting the enemy. It seems Clipton is alone in recognizing the madness all around him. And it is Clipton who cries, “Madness, madness!” as things fall apart. It is a relatively small, but incredibly important role, and Donald does it justice.
Though Malcolm Arnold won the Oscar for Best Score, it is not his music that is most memorable. Rather, the Colonel Bogey march by Kenneth J. Alford, written decades earlier, is what is most prominent in Kwai. It is heard whistled by the soldiers at various points in the movie when morale is high. The film score itself is minimal, with other sounds—soldier’s marching feet, a single set of footsteps on the bridge, or the distant sounds of the train—often providing non-musical sonic interest.
Bridge on the River Kwai is a long film at 2 hours 41 minutes, but well worth the time. The cinematography is striking, showing the beauty and perils of the jungle as well as the building of the glorious bridge. The bridge story line provides psychological drama, while the plot story line provides action and adventure. The culmination of the colliding stories is exciting and surprising. And the characters are intriguing. Their quirks and their choices lead us to ask important questions about right and wrong, honor, and pride. It is no wonder this film was well received by critics and the public alike.
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From the manufacturer
Bridge on the River Kwai
- Winner of 7 Oscars
- Directed by David Lean
- Starring Alec Guiness, William Holden, Jack Hawkins
Reviews with images
Opened 4k blue-ray dvd and it was 2 blanks inside!
I didn’t get chance to open dvd, until recently, but when I did to my dismay I found two blank disks! I don’t think anything will come of this, but I you can be shore I won’t be ordering any dvds’ from this company anymore. Very disappointed and twenty bucks wasted. I gave one star because there is no ZERO! Signed not happy
Top reviews from other countries
Hector Hdez E
Excelente calidad
Reviewed in Mexico on October 14, 2023
Hector Hdez E
Reviewed in Mexico on October 14, 2023
Images in this review
Mariano García León
MUY BUENA PELICULA DEL PUENTE SOBRE EL RIO KWAI
Reviewed in Spain on November 23, 2022
Mariano García León
Reviewed in Spain on November 23, 2022
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\m/arcolino
Klassiker mit "Welthit"!
Reviewed in Germany on May 27, 2020
\m/arcolino
Reviewed in Germany on May 27, 2020
Der Film basiert also auf einer wahren Begebenheit, denn tatsächlich wurden asiatische Zwangsarbeiter und Kriegsgefangene zum Bau der Strecke herangezogen. Weil beim Bau rund 100.000 asiatische Zwangsarbeiter und etwa 16.000 Kriegsgefangene den Tod fanden, nennt der Volksmund diese Eisenbahnlinie auch „Die Todesbahn“.
Im Film geht es aber speziell um den Bau einer Brücke über den „Kwai" durch britische Kriegsgefangene, die in einem Lager in Burma inhaftiert sind. Diese sollen eine Holzbrücke bauen, damit diese rechtzeitig fertig wird, will der Lagerkommandant COLONEL SAITO (Sessue Hakyakawa) auch die Offiziere zur Arbeit zwingen. Der Anführer der Gefangenen, COLONEL NICHOLSON (Alec Guiness), lehnt das aber ab und beruft sich auf die „Genfer Konventionen“, die untersagen, dass Offiziere zur Arbeit gezwungen werden dürfen.
Da Japan aber diese Konvention nie unterschrieben hat, fühlt sich SAITO nicht daran gebunden und deshalb versucht er mit Strafen und Schikanen die Offiziere zur Arbeit zu bewegen ……
Das ist die Basis, auf der der Film beruht, der als erschreckendes Beispiel für bedingungslose militärische Pflichterfüllung kritisiert wurde. Ich weiß gar nicht, warum Kritiker immer in alles etwas reininterpretieren müssen, haben die nichts Besseres zu tun?
Der Film erzählt einfach eine Geschichte, die auf historischen Tatsachen beruht – und fertig!
Der Film lebt vor allem von erstklassigen Hauptdarstellern wie ALEC GUINESS (Colonel Nicholson) und WILLIAM HOLDEN (Commander Shears), aber auch von exzellent besetzten Nebenrollen. Hier wären vor allem SESSUE HAYAKAWA (Saito) und JACK HAWKINS (Major Warden) zu erwähnen.
Weltberühmt dürfte der „Colonel-Bogey-March“ geworden sein, den die gefangenen beim Einmarsch ins Gefangenlager pfiffen. Man kennt ihn unter der Bezeichnung „River-Kwai-Marsch“, in Deutschland ist er vor allem durch die „Underberg“-Werbung bekannt.
Der Film wurde im heutigen Ceylon gedreht, wo extra eine 35 Meter hohe und 130 Meter lange Holzbrücke gebaut wurde. Bis dahin war das die größte Brückenkulisse, die jemals für einen Film gebaut wurde.
Mein Fazit: „Die Brücke am Kwai“ ist definitiv ein Klassiker, den man sich auch heute noch ansehen kann. Ob man nun etwas hineininterpretiert oder nicht, in jedem Fall ist der Film spannend und ob militärische Pflichterfüllung hier zu positiv dargestellt wird, oder eben nicht, ist für mich eher nebensächlich.
Das ist definitiv ein Klassiker, den man sich immer mal wieder ansehen kann – auch mehr als sechzig Jahre später noch!
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