Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Set in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, British soldiers are forced into building a bridge for their captors.

Alec Guinness stars as Colonel Nicholson, the leader of this band of captives, who is the perfect model for what a soldier in the British army should be. He is a stickler for the rules, and lives by a code of honour and pride. When he is pitted against the evil Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa), the head of the Japanese POW camp, the two seem to be fierce enemies. Nicholson demands that Saito abide by the Geneva Convention, giving the British soldiers and officers the basic rights that all POW’s have, whilst Saito only cares that his bridge is finished in time for the inaugural ceremony, and doesn‘t care how many die in its construction.

Saito attempts to break the spirit of the British, by using harsh punishments and degradation tactics, but Nicholson holds firm to his beliefs, which instils great respect in his soldiers, who continue to support him. Once Saito accepts he needs the cooperation of the captives to complete this massive project, he gives in to Nicholson’s request, and the two enjoy a productive relationship. As the British begin building an impressive bridge for the Japanese, Nicholson looses sight of his role as a prisoner, and becomes obsessed with doing his job perfectly.

All the while, one of the rare escapees from the POW camp, an American called Shears (William Holden), is forced back into the jungle with a small group of British special forces, to find the bridge and blow it up.

This is a remarkable film for its time, one that is still a powerful example of a war movie (although there is very little fighting). The movie has some compelling ideas about the effects of war on soldiers, and how heroism can be the downfall of a man. The character of Nicholson is brilliantly interesting, how his loyalty to the rules and protocol ends up leaving him in a very precarious situation.

A few stylistic points make the film seem dated, such as the melodramatic fight scene at the end, and the quick-mouthed character of Shears. Also, being a PG, the film’s main baddie, Saito, lacked any real threat. Very little is shown or even remarked upon about his evil deeds, and it would have been nice to see a more villainous side to him.

That being said, I can still see why this film remains a classic. It has enduring themes about war, humanity, and life that keep it a relevant and entertaining movie.