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The classic story of English POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. British and American intelligence officers conspire to blow up the structure, but Col. Nicholson, the commander who supervised the bridge's construction, has acquired a sense of pride in his creation and tries to foil their plans.
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Character
Classical in form, earnest, grave and meticulous.
- classical in formformally daring
- earnestironic
- gravecomic
- rawmeticulous
- intimateepic
Who loves it, who doesn't
45 profiled raters. Loved most by The Prestige Hunters; disliked most by The Prestige Hunters.
Where do you stand?
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“Is The Bridge on the River Kwai better than Lawrence of Arabia?”
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“Is Col. Nicholson the real protagonist?”
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“Is it the best drama film of its decade?”
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A yes-or-no question, answered from what people wrote here, on TMDB and on Wikipedia. Never made up.
Reviews
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- John Chardon TMDB · Jul 201610/10
Colonel Bogey's Barmy Army. OK! Lets get it out there right away, for historical facts of the real Bridge on the River Kwai story, one should research elsewhere, this film is a fictionalised account of the said events. Sadly there are those out there who simply refuse to judge this purely as a piece of cinematic art - and cinematic art it is. A squad of British soldiers are held in a Japanese POW camp in the Burmese jungle. The respective Japanese and British leaders clash but an understanding is finally reached to build a bridge across the River Kwai. The importance of which could prove crucial in more ways than one... It won 7 Academy Awards and 4 BAFTAS, and it was the film that saw the great David Lean enter his epic period. And what a start it is. Kwai is a masterful piece of cinema, it has a magnificently intelligent and complex screenplay - with tough edged dialogue in the script, is bursting at the seams with high quality performances, and beautifully photographed (filmed in Ceylon). Thematically it's about the folly and psychological madness of war, which in turn is ensconced in sub - plots of genuine worth. It all builds to a tremendous finale, where everything we have wi
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Cast
- William HoldenCmdr. Shears
- Alec GuinnessCol. Nicholson
- Jack HawkinsMaj. Warden
- Sessue HayakawaCol. Saito
- James DonaldMaj. Clipton
- Geoffrey HorneLt. Joyce
- André MorellCol. Green
- Peter WilliamsCapt. Reeves
- John BoxerMajor Hughes
- Percy HerbertGrogan
Crew
- David LeanDirector
- Carl ForemanScreenplay
- Michael WilsonScreenplay
- Pierre BoulleNovel
- Jack HildyardDirector of Photography
- Malcolm ArnoldOriginal Music Composer
- Peter TaylorEditor
- Sam SpiegelProducer
Where to watch
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Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Tastebuds Other media included when they land close.
The Godfather 197283% alikeBoth classical in form, earnest, meticulous.
All the King's Men 194982% alikeBoth classical in form, earnest, grave.
Julius Caesar 195381% alikeBoth classical in form, earnest, grave.
Seven Samurai 195481% alikeBoth classical in form, earnest, meticulous.
Patton 197080% alikeBoth classical in form, earnest, grave.
Glory 198980% alikeBoth classical in form, earnest, grave.
Munich 200579% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, grave.
The Godfather Part III 199079% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, grave.
Pachinko 201783% alikeBook · Both earnest, classical in form, grave.
The Hollow Crown 201279% alikeTelevision · Both classical in form, earnest, epic.
Often watched with
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Tastebuds
