“Madness . . . madness.” Burma, 1943: ordered by Japanese prison camp commandant Sessue Hayakawa to construct a bridge, British POW Colonel Alec Guinness at first refuses but then acquiesces, reasoning that the undertaking will provide a morale boost for his men.
But in his obsession with detail and pride in his work, Guinness loses sight of the fact that the bridge will serve a deadly purpose—the transport of Japanese munitions.
It falls to American escapee William Holden and British Major Jack Hawkins to lead a mission back to the camp to destroy Guinness’s folly.
A powerful portrait of war and madness, and winner of seven Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Guinness. –AFI
Cast: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa, James Donald, Geoffrey Horne, André Morell, Peter Williams, John Boxer
London (Treasures from the Archives)
About this movie
Title: The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Directed by: David Lean
Date of birth: 25 March 1908, Croydon, Surrey, England, UK
Date of death: 16 April 1991, Limehouse, London, UK
Writing credits: Pierre Boulle, Michael Wilson, Carl Foreman
Music: Malcolm Arnold
Year: 1957
Country: United Kingdom | United States
Language: English | Thai | Japanese
Color: Color
Runtime: 161 min.