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Only he survives, though he is wounded. The film won seven Academy Awards (including Best Picture) at the 30th Academy Awards. The movie was mainly filmed in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and also in England. Since it first graced the silver screen won the admiration of audiences everywhere and continues to do so. Please note the delivery estimate is greater than 10 business days. This story is retold in: Anecdotal Tit Bits: Making "The Bridge on the River Kwai", "links for research, Allied POWs under the Japanese", "The Colonel of Tamarkan: Philip Toosey and the Bridge on the River Kwai", "The Colonel of Tamarkan: Philip Toosey and the, "Once-Stupendous-Now-Modest $2,700,000 Budget Kept Secret; 'River Kwai's' Sockfull Gross", "Screen: 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' Opens", "Film Reviews: The Bridge on the River Kwai", "Balu Mahendra, who made his visuals speak, dies at 74", "Warren Buffett carries an American Express card and about $400 in cash", "How Cartrivision's 1972 VCR ForesawAnd ForfeitedThe Time-Shifted Future", "Movies | Disc & Digital | Sony Pictures", "Wayne and Shuster Show, The Episode Guide (19541990) (series)", Lost and Found: The Story of Cook's Anchor, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Drama, National Board of Review Award for Best Film, New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Bridge_on_the_River_Kwai&oldid=1138405911, Films featuring a Best Actor Academy Award-winning performance, Films featuring a Best Drama Actor Golden Globe winning performance, Films that won the Best Original Score Academy Award, Films whose cinematographer won the Best Cinematography Academy Award, Films whose director won the Best Directing Academy Award, Films whose director won the Best Director Golden Globe, Films whose editor won the Best Film Editing Academy Award, Films whose writer won the Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award, Films with screenplays by Michael Wilson (writer), United States National Film Registry films, World War II films based on actual events, Short description is different from Wikidata, Album articles lacking alt text for covers, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Best DVD Original Retrospective Documentary/Featurette, Online Film & Television Association Awards, This page was last edited on 9 February 2023, at 14:21. as soon as he signed, Lean borrowed $2,000 from Columbia Pictures to get his teeth fixed. Also, the dense surrounding jungle renders escape virtually impossible. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a classic 1957 British-American war film based upon the 1952 novel Le Pont de la Rivire Kwai by Pierre Boulle. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 epic war film directed by David Lean and based on the 1952 novel written by Pierre Boulle.Although the film uses the historical setting of the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942-1943, the plot and characters of Boulle's novel and the screenplay are almost entirely fictional. The film"s story was loosely based on a true World War II incident, and the real-life character of Lieutenant Colonel Philip Toosey. Sessue Hayakawa (1889-1973) was a Japanese-born actor who came to Hollywood in the very early days of cinemahis first short, The Typhoon, was made in 1914and quickly became a matinee idol, playing exotic villains and such. Today, he rests alongside his fellow POWs in Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery in Burma (Myanmar). US $4.49 Standard Shipping from outside US. The curved-shaped truss spans are the originals on the bridge (constructed by the Japanese military during WWII) while the two trapezoidal-shaped bridge spans were provided by Japan as war reparations after the war ended in 1945 (to replace two curved-shaped truss spans that fell into the river after the bridge was attacked and bombed by Allied aircraft. 17. But Laughton, a fine actor with such credits as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) on his resume, was in poor physical shapegreat for playing the corpulent Henry VIII in Young Bess (1953), not so great for playing a British military officer in a prison camp. By the way, the real Kwai River was just a trickle near Burma, where Boulle set his bridge; the actual bridge had been built 200 miles away, near Bangkok. Laughton would die (of cancer) five years later, at the age of 63. As Ashton explained, it was so cheap because "we used local labor and elephants; and the timber was cut nearby.". Aerial reconnaissance photo of the Steel Bridge taken during a bombing raid. Over a muddy jungle river called Kwai, a Japanese colonel, Saito (Sessue Hayakawa), must complete a railroad bridge vital to Japan's war effort. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . [3] The cast includes William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, and Sessue Hayakawa. By the end, prisoners working on the rail route werent calling it the Burma-Siam Railway. By daybreak, however, the river level has dropped, exposing the wire connecting the explosives to the detonator. The Bridge on the River Kwai is now widely recognized as one of the greatest films ever made. The real swamps in Ceylon were deemed to be too dangerous. Victims were cremated and their remains are buried in the aforementioned graves. Major Warden of SOE invites Shears to join a commando mission to destroy the bridge just as it is completed. The negative itself manifested many of the kinds of issues one would expect from a film of this vintage: torn frames, embedded emulsion dirt, scratches through every reel, colour fading. Interested in advertising on the world's largest website dedicated to all things Britain? Jun 7, 2011 - New on Blu 6-7-11: Studios unload nearly 70 titles. A small tourist train offers rides across the bridges span, while pedestrians can also travel over it on foot. [49] Mike Kaplan, reviewing for Variety, described it as "a gripping drama, expertly put together and handled with skill in all departments. Approximately 5 kilometres north of Kanchanaburi there were two bridges that were built by POWs during the war. [11] Guinness admitted that Lean "didn't particularly want me" for the role, and thought about immediately returning to England when he arrived in Ceylon and Lean reminded him that he wasn't the first choice. Take a look below for 28 more fun and interesting facts about The Bridge on the . Some of the characters in the film use the names of real people who were involved in the Burma Railway. They felt none of the Bridge on the River Kwai cast could fully understand or represent what it was like to be there. Lets examine the history behind the film and the men who made it. Has two but they are small. Along with 1,250 other POWs, he died while in transit from Singapore to Japan aboard the Rakuyo Maro transport ship after it was torpedoed by a US submarine. Workers died at a rate of 20 men per day. Lean only got $150,000 himself, but he always said Holden was worth it. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a British 1957 movie from Columbia Pictures, based on Pierre Boulle's 1952 book The Bridge over the River Kwai (French: Le Pont de la Rivire Kwai). The action of the movie takes place in a Japanese prisoner-of-war (POW) camp in Burma during World War II. The two did not collaborate on the script; Wilson took over after Lean was dissatisfied with Foreman's work. This records the names of 11 Indian army men buried in Muslim cemeteries throughout Thailand whose graves could not be maintained. Carl Foreman was the initial screenwriter, but Lean replaced him with Michael Wilson. Chandran Rutnam and William Holden while shooting The Bridge on the River Kwai. Moreover, Kanchanaburi has an annual "Bridge Over the River Kwai" week, which has a sound show to relive the moments of World War II. So Spiegel hired another writer, Calder Willingham, to give it a crack. 1957 World War II film directed by David Lean, This article is about the film. 27. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) : ays - Internet Archive The screenplay was instead credited to the novelist, Boullewhich was quite a feat, since he didnt speak or read English. This is now known as the Death Railway. Sam Spiegel bought the railroad train from the Ceylonese government. Harry Cohn, the vulgar (but successful) man who ran Columbia Pictures at the time, was furious when he read the script and saw no love interest. In a prison camp, British POWs are forced into labor. The Bridge on the River Kwai Facts for Kids. Real Bridge on the River Kwai | New Scientist The Bridge On The River Kwai | Film Locations To keep costs down, producer Sam Spiegel decided not to hire any extras, using crew members and Ceylon locals instead. But I am writing a factual account, and in justice to these menliving and deadwho worked on that bridge, I must make it clear that we never did so willingly. Best 17 The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) Quotes After Guinness was done with the scene, Lean said, "Now you can all fuck off and go home, you English actors. The Burma-Siam Railways construction necessitated construction of over 670 bridges and numerous cuttings. Some of the Second World War's fiercest battles involved bridges and inspired some riveting accounts - capture of key bridges (Cornelius Ryan's "The Longest Day"; Stephen. They would work in appalling conditions, given minuscule amounts of food, snatches of sleep, and little to no medical treatment. The real River Kwai, and its bridge, is in what was then Siam, now Thailand.The name 'River Kwai' refers to the Khwae Noi and Khwae Yai rivers in western Thailand, which converge to become the Mae Klong river at Kanchanaburi, about 70 miles northwest of Bangkok, and it was across the Mae Klong that the infamous bridge was built. Mortally wounded, he falls onto the plunger, the bridge is blown up, and the train with the dignitaries falls into the river. (He didn't attend the Oscars, either.) BRIDGE ON RIVER KWAI - Shore Leave - Model Ship World [19], Guinness later said that he subconsciously based his walk while emerging from "the Oven" on that of his eleven-year-old son Matthew,[20] who was recovering from polio at the time, a disease that left him temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. After Saito cuts a ceremonial ribbon, Nicholson spots a detonator wire. Lean wanted Charles Laughton (who'd starred in his 1954 film Hobson's Choice) to play Colonel Nicholson, the role that ultimately went to Alec Guinness. Just a stone's throw from the Menin Gate, visit our Information Centre to learn more about the CWGC. Alec Guiness overseeing men working on the tracks in a scene from the film 'The Bridge On The River Kwai', 1957. Begun in October 1942, using prisoner of war (POW) labour, it was completed and operational by early February 1943. The producer's press release, thoughwanting to emphasize that this was a Big Budget Hollywood Pictureclaimed the bridge had cost $250,000. Of course, he could not save many of his men from expiring, but he did their best to make conditions more comfortable. Nicholson yells for help, while attempting to stop Joyce from reaching the detonator. The Bridge on the River Kwai - filming locations - SCEEN IT as for the bridge on the River Kwai, it crossed the river only in the imagination of its author. Geoffrey Horne saved his life. BANGKOK TO BRIDGE ON RIVER KWAI: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW - A Million Travels No visit to the Western Front is complete without a trip to The CWGC Visitor Centre. Reviews There are no reviews yet. Toosey later defended him in his war crimes trial after the war, and the two became friends. Both bridges stood for two years and were destroyed by bombers in 1945. As the train approaches, Nicholson frantically pulls up the wire, following it to find the detonator. Questions or feedback on our new site? His career was hurt by the advent of sound, and then by increasing anti-Japanese sentiment in America. Mitch Miller had a hit with a recording of both marches. In 1999, the British Film Institute voted The Bridge on the River Kwai the 11th greatest British film of the 20th Century. Prior to casting Alec Guinness, Sam Spiegel tried to persuade Spencer Tracy to play the part of Colonel Nicholson. Kanburi wasnt a work camp as such. Further afield, and appealing to my military family war history, is Kanchanaburi with its war cemetery and bridge over the Kwai river which is made famous by the Oscar winning film The Bridge on the River Kwai. The Colonel Bogey strain was accompanied by a counter-melody using the same chord progressions, then continued with film composer Malcolm Arnold's own composition, "The River Kwai March", played by the off-screen orchestra taking over from the whistlers, though Arnold's march was not heard in completion on the soundtrack. [46], On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an approval rating of 96% based on 93 reviews, with an average rating of 9.4/10. 14. 7. 22. The Bridge On The River Kwai Photos and Premium High Res Pictures Sri Lanka Filming Locations: The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957) Rather than start building at two ends and meet in the middle, as per normal railway construction, the Japanese created hundreds of camps across its lengths. Himmler The trials of Australian Army Lieutenant George Hamilton Lamb reflected the mens awful experience building the Burma-Siam Death Railway. In reality, Risaburo Saito was respected by his prisoners for being comparatively merciful and fair towards them. It was more of a transit hub where prisoners were moved to other work areas along the railway route. Written 20 October 2021. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI takes place in Japan-occupied Siam (later Thailand) in 1943, after the Imperial Japanese Empire has conquered vast territories of Asia. Roger Ebert focused on the symbolism of the bridge in this 1999 description: "[The war] narrows down to a single task, building a . Nicholson objects, informing Saito the Geneva Convention exempts officers from manual labour. The Bridge on the River Kwai - Anzac Portal 13 Fascinating Facts About 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' | Mental Floss Toosey would provide the inspiration for Lt. Col Nicholson portrayed by Alec Guinness in the 1957 film. The Bridge on the River Kwai was widely praised, winning seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, at the 30th Academy Awards. Unlike the other two, it is not located in Thailand. The Burma-Siam Railroad and the Bridge over the River Kwai Guide It stretched from Japan, Korea, and China in the north all the way down to Indonesia. 7. Camps were set up at 100-metre intervals. Explore the story of the CWGC, from our formation during the First World War to our work today. The Bridge on the River Kwai: Fact and fiction - Sentinelassam She retired Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Madness! Goering And a bloke called George Siegatz[29] an expert whistlerbegan to whistle Colonel Bogey, and a hit was born.". But, what about the real men behind the real story of the construction of the Burma-Siam Railway? The Bridge on the River Kwai - IGN Ten Interesting Facts about The Bridge on the River Kwai - Anglotopia.net comment. The Bridge Over The River Kwai: The Real Story - Travel Happy US Navy Commander Shears tells of the horrific conditions. The Kanchanaburi Memorial sits with the cemetery grounds. Nicholson suddenly realizes that his pride in the bridges construction has blinded him to his military duty. The Kwai River Bridge was part of the meter-gauge railway constructed by the Japanese during World War Two. Chungkai was also a POW worker base camp. This was an incorrect assumption. Then he hired Lean to directand Lean didn't like Foreman's version. Some sections, such as the infamous Hellfire Pass, required carving through tough sheer rock. Spiegel had it refurbished completely and then had one mile of railway track laid for it. [64] The image was restored by OCS, Freeze Frame, and Pixel Magic with George Hively editing. All the filming locations of The Bridge on the River Kwai are listed below. The Burma-Siam Railway was 250 miles of railway constructed by Allied prisoners of war alongside forced Asian labourers. A picture of the actual bridge over the River Kwai in June 2004. "[47] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 87 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Joyce, manning the detonator, breaks cover and stabs Saito to death. The Bridge On The River Kwai Film Facts. Shears, who is a British commando officer like Warden in the novel, became an American sailor who escapes from the POW camp. 16- "You make me sick with your heroics! The story is fictional but uses the construction of the Burma Railway, in 1942-1943, as its historical setting, and is partly based on Pierre Boulle's own life experience working in Malaysia rubber . [51] Time magazine praised Lean's directing, noting he demonstrates "a dazzlingly musical sense and control of the many and involving rhythms of a vast composition. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a British 1957 World War II film by David Lean based on the novel The Bridge Over the River Kwai by French writer Pierre Boulle. Put on your marching boots and whistle a jaunty tune as we investigate some behind-the-scenes facts about this enduring war film. As it opens, two POWs, the American navy commander Shears (William Holden) and an Australian, are digging graves for their companions. The movie was filmed in Ceylon, which is now Sri Lanka. One of the iconic war films of its time, the Bridge on the River Kwai has shone a spotlight on POWs suffering. Cast the Expert: Percy Herbert, who played the role of a prisoner of war in the film, actually spent four . Let's talk about British Food! Two bridges were built, the first made of wood. [60] The 167-minute film was first telecast, uncut, in colour, on the evening of 25 September 1966, as a three hours-plus ABC Movie Special. The deaths of the Asian workers and the prisoners were real events, but most of the book and the movie are not true. Where Is the River Kwai Located? - The Bridge on the River Kwai Sessue Hayakawa considered his performance as Saito as the highlight of his career. Two labour forces, one based in Siam and the other in Burma, worked from opposite ends of the line towards the centre. Bridge over the River Kwai, Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Just two months later, Lieutenant Lamb was dead. [10], Although Lean later denied it, Charles Laughton was his first choice for the role of Nicholson. David Lean, director of such landmark epics as Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, didn't always make giant movies. Image: British troops surrender at Singapore. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 British-American epic war movie directed by David Lean and starring William Holden, Jack Hawkins, and Alec Guinness, featuring Sessue Hayakawa.
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