A timeless epic

Rating: 10/10 (31 August 2002)

Historical inaccuracies aside, "Bridge on the River Kwai" defines the term "Hollywood epic". Everything about it is on a grand scale, from the setting to the cast to the themes. It is also the principal masterwork of David Lean, one of the greatest film directors of our time -- much better, in my opinion, than any of his films that came before or after, including "Lawrence of Arabia."
I make it a point to watch it every few years and am always struck by two things: how affecting it is, even though I know the ending; and how it is so much all of a piece. The acting is excellent, and Alec Guiness in particular is superb, but at no time does it call undue attention to itself. This is true of all the other elements of the film -- the directing, editing, music, set design, etc. All excellent, yet all working together to create a piece of art that works on many levels: as a pure adventure film certainly, but also as a gripping exploration of human motivation in the unreality of war. You lose yourself in the story quickly and forget you are watching a film, which is one of the best compliments that can be paid to any film.

Repeated viewings also point out the deficiencies of so-called "epics" that have come out since. "Bridge" seems to me more timeless than ever as time goes on. (That the real story was far different and far less neatly resolved than in the film is a specious point. At no point does "Bridge" portray itself as a true story.)
A brilliant film. 10 out of 10.