In the Golden Age of cinema, David Lean was dubbed as the king of epics. One of his more high-prolific entries into that category was the 1957 classic "The Bridge on the River Kwai". To me the top priority of this movie wasn't emphasized on World War II. The film centres around a strict, but well-defined British officer Col. Nicholson (Alec Guinness), a lesser disciplined American soldier Commander Shears (William Holden) and a tyrant prison officer Col. Saito (Sessue Hayakawa) who were placed in a Japanese prison camp where they were forced into labour to build the railway bridge over the River Kwai that connects from Bangkok and Rangoon. While this is done these three individuals try everything to co-exist with one another. You see very little of the war. The abysmal conditions of the prison camp is hard to swallow and cruelty that comes with the package is not for the faint of heart. This is where the best scenes take place, especially those who are into character-driven movies. This is where the performers truly exhibit themselves so that they can get Oscar recognition. And the harsher the conditions the better. Like a blessing in disguise for the viewers. It's quite astounding that the characters come to life as we are invested in the main three characters (and a few supporting ones) become more fascinating as they develop. I was very pleased that Hayakawa was made into a great character, a lesser made film would've dismissed him into a one dimensional cartoon like villain. Lt. Col. Nicholson is a dedicated officer who's by the book persona gives him that edge of a true leader in his world. He will not budge unless Saito shows more respect towards the Geneva convention in which officers are forbidden to manual labour, in spite of his orders that prisoners in spite of their rank must build this bridge. But when Saito takes the request into consideration or else face ritual suicide, Nicholson goes through great lengths to humiliate the Japanese by upstaging and promoting how great the British Army is buy building a better bridgeIn spite of how proud and dedicated he is towards the British Army, Nicholson is far from perfect, in fact his flaws are quite obvious. His role becomes that of the tragic hero in which even the good guys can get their comeuppance. His character blunder comes from the issue he was fighting against ends up taking over his life as his building of the monument becomes all that matters to him and what the purpose at to why this bridge is being constructed."Bridge on the River Kwai" works on various levels in terms of great pace, remarkable characters and well put together plot, there is still a major flaw that holds this movie to being a masterpiece. While doing everything in its power to make this war film not emphasizing too much on the war, the last fifteen minutes ends up becoming all about the war and the preachy cliches there are about how bad war is. If they would've kept up with the human drama, this movie could've been pure gold, not that is was overrated. The political sentiments just takes over in the end and when the final quote, "Madness, Madness" comes around after all the chaos has happened, it leaves a sout taste in your mouth.Many reviewers have said that this movie has anti-war written all over the script and that the after effects of the war can cause even the sanest individual traumatized. No disrespect to the reviewers, but that is not the case. Up until the last 15 minutes it was all about men going out of their ways fighting through hard times during very complicated times. The war was used as a decoy to represent the setting of this film. and even if this film has the anti-war theme stamped all over, they should have kept it more hidden than blurted out in the end which was a cop-out to a potentially reasonable ending.Sure I may be fixated on this flaw too much, but it's because I cared so much bout the movie and director David Lean got lazy and just rushed off the ending too fast making the ending way too inorganic. In spite of this flaw, "The Bridge on the River Kwai" is a remarkable movie to enjoy and it still holds well as one of the best classic epic films with a great cinematic achievement in character driven movies.

In Japanese prisoner of war camp in Burma a camp a newly arrived group of British prisoners are told that they are to construct a bridge over the River Kwai. Their CO, Lt Col Nicholson, informs the camp commandant, Colonel Saito, that as per the Geneva Convention he and his officers will not work. Saito orders the officers placed in a punishment cell while Nicholson is put in an iron 'hot box'. While they are being punished the man work on the bridge but progress is very slow. There is also an escape attempt by American prisoner Commander Shears and two British prisoners; the latter are shot and killed and it looks as though Shears is dead too after being shot at and falling into the river. As the progress of the bridge falls further and further behind schedule Saito talks to Nicholson; the latter tells him that his men would do a better job if led by their own officers… soon he has effectively taken over the project; moving the bridge to a better location, coming up with a better design and the moral of the men is improving… but in the process is he guilty of helping the enemy.Shears survives the fall into the river, and with the help of local villagers recovers and is eventually rescued and taken to a hospital in Ceylon. Here he is recruited, somewhat against his will, by Major Warden who is planning to lead a small group into the jungle to destroy the bridge.This film is rightly considered a classic; its cast doing a great job telling an interesting story. Alec Guinness is on top form as Col Nicholson as he gradually changes from an officer who bravely stands up to his captors to somebody who could be considered to be aiding the enemy; his motives are the moral and wellbeing of his men but as completion of the bridge nears he is clearly proud of the work they have done. William Holden impresses as Shears, a character who provides some of the films few lighter moments. Jack Hawkins is also on good form as Major Warden.This can be considered a film of two halves; the first concerning what is going on in the camp with Nicolson risking all to stand up to the Japanese and the second which largely follows the planning and execution of the raid against the bridge with occasional returns to the camp where we see Nicholson accidentally slipping into collaboration. There are of course some problems; most notably the character of Nicholson; it is unlikely that a senior British officer would have behaved the way he did… the officer he is loosely based on certainly didn't. This isn't an action packed film but it is certainly tense and never boring. What action there is, is impressive. Overall I'd definitely recommend this classic film… I'd also recommend reading a little about the actual events which inspired this work of fiction.

In early 1943, World War II British prisoners arrive by train at a Japanese prison camp in Burma. The commandant, Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa), informs them that all prisoners, regardless of rank, are to work on the construction of a railway bridge over the River Kwai that will connect Bangkok and Rangoon. The senior British officer, Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness), reminds Saito that the Geneva Conventions exempt officers from manual labor.At the following morning's assembly, Nicholson orders his officers to remain behind when the enlisted men are sent off to work. Saito slaps him across the face with his copy of the conventions and threatens to have them shot, but Nicholson refuses to back down. When Major Clipton (James Donald), the British medical officer, intervenes, telling Saito there are too many witnesses for him to get away with murdering the officers, Saito leaves the officers standing all day in the intense tropical heat. That evening, the officers are placed in a punishment hut, while Nicholson is locked in an iron box.

Bridge over the River Kwai (1957)A superbly well crafted World War II movie about British POWs working on a bridge in the Thai jungle for their Japanese captors.That may sound like a summary, but along those lines it's simply a really well made (and fictional) movie. What makes it rise above (much as "Lawrence of Arabia" by the same director does) is the psychology, and the aggrandizing pro-British agenda. It's all feel-good stuff (if you're not Japanese, at least). And smart, sharply filmed, and increasingly complicated.There are some welcome contrasts quite intentionally worked out at the start, including a common one in these film—the different military culture of the British (in Asia still very much of the British Empire mindset) and the Americans (represented by William Holden). The Japanese are really only present in the form of the prison commander, who is a combination of cruel and pathetic. You eventually feel sympathy for the fellow in a way, as the Brits show an unlikely but well-hones superiority in engineering and in morality.There is some true basis to the movie but there were so many liberties taken with the truth that there is no need to dig into that (except for some sense of what the war was really like in SE Asia before 1945). So you really can't watch it for a glimpse of prison life in a Japanese camp. Instead think of it as a larger tale of dignity and perseverance. Alec Guinness (as the leading British officer) is wonderful.The eventual climax is filled with irony and difficulty (and tragedy), but I can't go into that and the meanings here. Let it be said that you need to stick it out if the three hours starts to seem long. It has both a resolution to the plot and to the ethical issues that turn up.Powerful stuff. In the big picture this will seem "by the book," an epic that is excellent but takes few chances. But it's so well made you need to appreciate it for what it is.