Movielogr
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Directed by David Lean
Twitter Facebook Google+Most recently watched by sleestakk, squeegull, leiabox
Overview
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.
Rated PG | Length 161 minutes
Actors
William Holden | Alec Guinness | Jack Hawkins | Sessue Hayakawa | James Donald | Geoffrey Horne | André Morell | Peter Williams | John Boxer | Percy Herbert | Harold Goodwin | Ann Sears | Heihachirô Ôkawa | Vilaiwan Seeboonreaung | Keiichirô Katsumoto | Ngamta Suphaphongs | Javanart Punynchoti | Kannikar Dowklee
Viewing History (seen 1 time)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/28/2012 | TV | Broadcast | TV | 9.5 stars |
| (Average) 9.5 stars |
Viewing Notes
One of the greatest movies ever made, easily. It’s been a while since I’ve sat and watched the entire film end to end, so it was a treat to see it again on TCM. The restored print is gorgeous. I’d love to see this projected in a theater sometime.
Two scenes that really caught my attention this time around were 1) the river scene with all the bats and the subsequent chase through the bamboo trees; and 2) the tracking shot following the raft down the river as the commandos try to get to the bridge to set the explosives.
Both feature masterful camera work. The river scene with the bats feels similar to Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line and makes me wonder if he was inspired by Lean’s work here.
Watching this makes me want to rewatch Lawrence of Arabia, another Lean masterpiece and another one of my all-time favorite movies.
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