A piece of cinematic brilliance

Rating: 9/10 (10 January 1999)

This film is easily one of the ten best I have ever seen. It seems to have every aspect of what a film needs to be great. 1) Great story 2) Great actors 3) Great direction 4) Great cinematography 5) Great suspense 6) Great story speed. Director David Lean captured each of these elements to almost a perfect level in this anti-war film.
Alec Guiness gives a great performance as Col. Nicholson and was indeed Oscar-worthy. The passion with which he had for the role is best shown at the conclusion of the film in which he finally realizes that all he had done was wrong. Performances from Holden, Hayakawa and Hawkins all match the level of Guiness' intensity. The whole conflict between the British and Japanese is never really described but one gets a better sense of it through the great performances.
The one thing that really got me about this film was the manner in which it was shot. The picture quality is very much up to modern standards and seems all that more incredible when compared to other colour films of the day. Jack Hildyard's cinematography full captures the feeling of struggle and conquer throughout the film, especially in later scenes including the destruction of the bridge. Full credit to Boulle's book for coming up with such an interesting way to destroy the bridge.
The visual and psychological complexities of this film make it truly great among all films, not just war films. After all, who could forget that famous whistling tune?
9/10 stars.