Title: The Bridge on the River Kwai
Runtime: 161 Min
Year: 1957
Genres: Adventure - Drama - War
Cast: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa, James Donald, Geoffrey Horne, André Morell, Peter Williams, John Boxer, Percy Herbert, Harold Goodwin, Ann Sears, Heihachirô Ôkawa, Keiichirô Katsumoto, M.R.B. Chakrabandhu, Vilaiwan Seeboonreaung, Ngamta Suphaphongs, Javanart Punynchoti
Directed By: David Lean
PLOT
The film deals with the situation of British prisoners of war during World War II who are ordered to build a bridge to accommodate the Burma-Siam railway. Their instinct is to sabotage the bridge but, under the leadership of Colonel Nicholson, they are persuaded that the bridge should be constructed as a symbol of British morale, spirit and dignity in adverse circumstances. At first, the prisoners admire Nicholson when he bravely endures torture rather than compromise his principles for the benefit of the Japanese commandant Saito. He is an honorable but arrogant man, who is slowly revealed to be a deluded obsessive. He convinces himself that the bridge is a monument to British character, but actually is a monument to himself, and his insistence on its construction becomes a subtle form of collaboration with the enemy. Unknown to him, the Allies have sent a mission into the jungle, led by Warden and an American, Shears, to blow up the bridge.
Country: U.S.A. - UK
Language: English - Japanese - Thai
Writers: Michael Wilson (screenplay) originally uncredited and Carl Foreman (screenplay) originally uncredited Pierre Boulle (novel "Le pont de la rivière Kwaï")
Awards:
1958- Academy Awards, USA (Oscar)
-Best Actor in a Leading Role Alec Guinness Alec Guinness was not present at the awards ceremony. Jean Simmons accepted the award on his behalf. (WON)
-Best Cinematography Jack Hildyard (WON)
-Best Director David Lean (WON)
-Best Film Editing Peter Taylor (WON)
-Best Music, Scoring Malcolm Arnold (WON)
-Best Picture Sam Spiegel (WON)
-Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Pierre Boulle, Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson
Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson were blacklisted at the time and received no screen credit. They were posthumously awarded Oscars in 1984.
Pierre Boulle was not present at the awards ceremony. Kim Novak accepted the award on his behalf. (WON)
-Best Actor in a Supporting Role Sessue Hayakawa (NOMINATED)
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