A tragic story about men who die for nothing.

Rating: 10/10 (16 June 2016)

The movie withstands the test of time, meaning that the story still resonates, decades after the movie's initial release. It depicts prisoners of war and deals with ethical issues that transcends time. A British commander deludes himself into believing that he is doing something good when in fact he is a shameless collaborationist who is selling out his country to satisfy his own vanity. Every member of the cast deliver excellent performances. That is especially true of Jack Hawkins and William Holden. Alec Guinness plays the Colonel. His performance is singularly impressive and iconic. He sets the standard for the depiction of the pompous and arrogant military officer type. The problem with the movie is its ending. It is too abrupt and given the Colonel's intense and deep emotional investment in the bridge, there is no way that he would suddenly realize the reprehensible nature of his actions. He is too deluded. But the movie redeems him, raising him to the level of a tragic figure, the good man who goes astray. The question is: was he really a good man?
Additional comments after having watched the movie again. The movie's final scene is harrowing. All the principal characters die over a bridge that had become the focal point of a power struggle between two men who hated each other yet were forced to work together. The bridge was built not out of love but out of hate. In doing so, both protagonists bring dishonor to themselves. Nicholson becomes a collaborationist while Saito forfeits his authority. When Nicholson finally realizes the folly of what he had done, it is too late. The bridge is gone along with the men who died for nothing.