My #1 movie

Rating: 10/10 (13 April 1999)

So, what makes this movie my favorite? Simple, every aspect of the film is perfect. The acting is incredible, Alec Guinness won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Colonel Nicholson. The Cinematography, which also won an Academy Award, is beautiful (If you purchase this video, buy the widescreen. The formatted version does not capture the Cinematography as well.) The musical score by Malcolm Arnold is great (Malcolm Arnold received an Oscar for his score). The Screenplay is wonderful, and an amazing achievement considering two blacklisted writers were responsible for it. Both Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson won an Academy Award for their screenplay.
OK, so much for awards, but the little things make this movie great. There are so many great lines and scenes throughout the movie. The movie never tries to show the Japanese as the bad guys (just the enemy in war), but shows their constant fight to maintain their code of honor. This is the ultimate struggle of the movie, can honor exist in war? The British fight to maintain their honor, and the Japanese try to force their code of honor onto the British prisoners. The movie has a message that should last through the ages.
The final scene of the movie must be one of the greatest of all time. I will not give it away if anybody has not seen it, but when you do the final scene will blow you away, as will the movie.