The Bridge on the River Kwai

David Lean’s 1957 prison camp classic The Bridge on the River Kwai has always been a favorite of mine compared with many other World War II movies because instead of having many shots of flying planes or tanks it focuses on mental combat and the response of men to terribly difficult circumstances.

Alec Guinness stars as the ranking officer of group of British soldiers captured by the Japanese and marched to a camp deep in the jungles of south Asia. Sessue Hayakawa is the camp commandant, unhappy to start with at this non-combat assignment, and unwilling to brook the least dissent from his charges.

The Brits, though, are equally unwilling to lose that stiff upper lip and when Hayakawa orders the officers to work alongside their men in building a bridge (over the Kwai River, natch) in contravention of Geneva Convention rules the officers take blistering punishment rather than comply. Falling further behind schedule the Japanese has no choice but to find a face-saving excuse to cave in. The Englishmen take the project in hand and deliver as required.

Meanwhile William Holden, already a prisoner when the others arrive, escapes and, with the help of natives who hate the Japanese as much as him, makes his way to an Allied base. The officers there are aware of the Japanese’ train plans and use a bit of armtwisting to get Holden to lead a team back to the camp so the construction can be blown up. The final conflict, of course, is between Holden and Guinness.

Based on a novel by Pierre Boulle (yes, he also wrote the novel from which Planet of the Apes was made), this was the first of three incredible historical epics director David Lean made: Bridge was followed in 1962 by Lawrence of Arabia and in ’65 by Doctor Zhivago. Some run, eh?

highly recommended