The Bridge on the River Kwai

The Bridge on the River Kwai Videos

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The Bridge on the River Kwai: Trailer 1

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The Bridge on the River Kwai: Official Clip - A Good Life

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The Bridge on the River Kwai: Official Clip - Kill Him! Kill Him!

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The Bridge on the River Kwai: Official Clip - What Have I Done?

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The Bridge on the River Kwai: Official Clip - A Lot to Learn About the Army

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The Bridge on the River Kwai: Official Clip - The Coward's Code

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The Bridge on the River Kwai: Official Clip - Live Like a Human Being

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The Bridge on the River Kwai: Official Clip - He's Done It!

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The Bridge on the River Kwai: Official Clip - Dinner with Saito

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The Bridge on the River Kwai Photos

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Cast & Crew

William Holden
Commander, Major Shears

Alec Guinness
Colonel Nicholson

Sessue Hayakawa
Colonel Saito

Jack Hawkins
Major Warden

James Donald
Major Clipton

Geoffrey Horne
Lieutenant Joyce

Andre Morrell
Colonel Green

Peter Williams
Capt. Reeves

John Boxer
Major Hughes

Percy Herbert
Grogan

Harold Goodwin
Baker

Ann Sears
Nurse

Heihachirô Ôkawa
Captain Kanematsu

David Lean
Director

Pierre Boulle
Writer

Michael Wilson
Screenwriter

Sam Spiegel
Producer

Malcolm Arnold
Original Music

Jack Hildyard
Cinematographer

Peter Taylor
Film Editing

Donald M. Ashton
Art Director

Stuart Freeborn
Makeup Artist

George Partleton
Makeup Artist

Cecil F. Ford
Production Manager

Gus Agosti
Assistant Director

Ted Sturgis
Assistant Director

John Cox
Sound

John W. Mitchell
Sound

Carl Foreman
Screenwriter

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News & Interviews for The Bridge on the River Kwai

Audience Reviews for The Bridge on the River Kwai

• Aug 05, 2015

  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.
  Paris S Super Reviewer
• Jul 12, 2014

  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.
  Jim H Super Reviewer
• Dec 29, 2013

  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.
  

  Alec B Super Reviewer
• May 05, 2013

  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.
  Stephen E Super Reviewer