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This complex war epic asks hard questions, resists easy answers, and boasts career-defining work from star Alec Guinness and director David Lean. Read critic reviews
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The Bridge on the River Kwai videos
The Bridge on the River Kwai: Trailer 1
The Bridge on the River Kwai: Official Clip - A Good Life
The Bridge on the River Kwai: Official Clip - Kill Him! Kill Him!
The Bridge on the River Kwai: Official Clip - What Have I Done?
The Bridge on the River Kwai: Official Clip - A Lot to Learn About the Army
The Bridge on the River Kwai: Official Clip - The Coward's Code
The Bridge on the River Kwai: Official Clip - Live Like a Human Being
The Bridge on the River Kwai: Official Clip - He's Done It!
The Bridge on the River Kwai: Official Clip - Dinner with Saito
The Bridge on the River Kwai Photos
Movie Info
Adaptation of the Pierre Bouelle novel about POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. British and American officers plot to blow up the structure, but the commander of the bridge's construction has different plans.
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Rating: PG
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Genre: War, Drama
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Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
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Director: David Lean
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Producer: Sam Spiegel
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Writer: Pierre Boulle, Michael Wilson, Carl Foreman
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Release Date (Theaters): wide
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Columbia Pictures
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Production Co: Horizon Films, Columbia Pictures
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Sound Mix: Surround, Mono, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Stereo
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Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)
Cast & Crew
News & Interviews for The Bridge on the River Kwai
Critic Reviews for The Bridge on the River Kwai
Audience Reviews for The Bridge on the River Kwai
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A big and excellent film with a near perfect beginning and ending. There are some incredible performances here, aided by an impeccably written cast of characters and story. The middle I found to be a bit overlong, though the payoff is massive.
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A battalion of British POWs are forced to build a bridge while an American soldier is charged with blowing it up. Exquisitely plotted, this film is remarkably compelling from beginning to end. At almost three hours, the film's run time is typical of David Lean, who doesn't care how long a film is; he cares how long it's good. The performance by Alec Guinness is the strongest, as he's able to convey his character's journey subtly, and William Holden is as charmingly surly as William Holden has always been. The film's themes of ambition and the need for purpose come through, and the cinematography is beautiful. Overall, this film is a classic for good reason.
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The brilliance of the film is that it manages to appease audience expectations while also subverting them. The most important takeaway from the ending isn't the building of the bridge or the attempts to destroy it but rather the difficulties of making moral choices in war.
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A film about confusion, moral dilemma and two sides working together, "The Bridge on the River Kwai" boasts stellar performances from its leads (Alec Guinness, William Holden, Jack Hawkins and Sessue Hayakawa), a memorable score and David Lean's typically sweeping direction. On top of being one of the best war films of all time, it also contains one of the best finales: a gripping, awe-inspiring combination of emotion and tension that slowly mounts towards an explosive climax and a fantastic closing line.
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