A truly great film

Rating: Null/10 (16 April 2006)

Made in 1957, now almost 50 years later Bridge On The River Kwai still looks and plays like a new movie. The location photography in the jungles of Ceylon with the bridge, the river and the waterfalls is absolutely spectacular.
The story has two main threads, the story of a group of British POW's and their commander Alec Guinness and the fate of a cynical American prisoner William Holden. They are all held captive in a jungle camp in Ceylon run by Japanese colonel Sessue Hayakawa whose orders are to have the men build a railroad bridge over the river Kwai.
This movie takes its time to develop the characters, something that most modern films avoid. Guinness, Holden, Hayakawa and Jack Hawkins share all of the screen time and at least one of them and usually more than one are in every scene. We get to see the relationship between Hayakawa and his prisoner Guinness play out and see Holden's true character develop as the movie progresses.
The picture won all the major Oscars in 1958 including best picture, best director and best actor (Alec Guiness). Bridge on the River Kwai is rated #13 on the prestigious American Film Institute's greatest movies list.
Be sure to see the film on DVD widescreen.