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As the summer sizzles with the release of such movies as Windtalkers' WWII drama and Minority Report's escape fiction, families hoping to catch a hot historical tale about invincible odds (with fewer content concerns), may find plenty of adventure in The Bridge on the River Kwai.

Winner of seven Oscars and numerous other awards, this 1957 epic is based on the true story of the Thai/Burma "Death Railroad." During the Second World War, many Allied prisoners were forced by their Japanese captors to toil in the sweltering jungle constructing a 415-kilometer (260 mile) line of track between Bangkok and Rangoon. In order to complete the task, several bridges had to be built, including one spanning the River Kwai.

When a group of British soldiers are marched into a detention camp, they continue to loyally follow the strict military instructions of Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness) --much to the chagrin of the enemy's leader Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa). A dictator with no sympathy for the Geneva Convention's code of conduct, Saito's main objective is to have his charges meet the bridge erection deadline. But his hard-nose tactics are about to come face-to-face with Nicholson's stiff upper lip.

As the ensuing power struggle heats up, it appears that nothing can cool the stubborn commanders' tempers, until ironically, the bridge project itself begins to close the gap between them. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to either party, a group of tactical officers is being assembled with their own explosive plans for the structure's future.

Violence is inevitable in this genre, and the film does contain depictions of death and injuries with minimal gore, as well as gaunt bodies of underfeed and wounded labors. (Inappropriate moral behavior that often accompanies stories of servicemen is limited to mild implications and some bare male chests and female shoulders.) Still, The Bridge On the River Kwai achieves considerable suspense--but it's not through heavy action sequences. The real conflict it presents is caused by the individual motives and personal agendas of the various characters--even though they are all enlisted in the same war.

Talk about the movie with your family...

Although Colonel Nicholson and Colonel Saito are military leaders from opposing sides, what traits do they have in common? How do their characters illustrate the effectiveness of using force or persuasion?

Can you identify some of the personal agendas of the various characters? How did perusing those motivations prevent them from seeing the situation as a whole? What techniques did the moviemakers use that allowed you to feel sympathy sometimes, and abhorrence at other times, for each of their causes?

For more information about the POW's, the railway, and the bridge, check out: http://history.acusd.edu/gen/filmnotes/bridgekwai.html.

Video alternatives...

For other films about World War II, try Tora, Tora, Tora, or South Pacific. Alec Guinness can also be seen in Star Wars, as Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Check our DVD notes below for more information on home video versions of this movie. Help support Grading The Movies by making your purchase through these links...
Limited Edition DVD			Standard Edition DVD
Widescreen VHS			VHS

DVD notes...

If you don't yet appreciate the differences between the "aspect ratios" of a typical VHS tape and a DVD, then check this classic out on the shiny disc. The film was shot in a super-wide 1:2.55 ratio (most movies are 1:1.85 or 1:2.35). Unfortunately, we could only get our hands on the standard release which features a 1:2.35 "crop" of the original. Still, it was wonderful to see this award winning work of art in its widescreen splendor.

For the absolute purist, look for the Limited Edition release which features a two disc set and the movie in it's complete 1:2.55 ratio. Amazingly, it sells on Amazon at this moment (June 2002) for only 3 cents more than the standard edition!
DVD notes by Rod Gustafson