Review of The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) by Filipeneto — 12 Jul 2018

This film is very lightly based on a true story of British prisoners of war who served in the construction of Indo-Chinese railways during World War II. Of course, the film (as well as, perhaps, the book on which it's based) takes a lot of creative liberties and isn't entirely stick to historical truth, which is normally bad but, in this case, is mitigated by the quality of the film itself.

In fact, the film seeks to use this incident to portray the madness of war honor: on one hand, we have a Japanese officer who will have to commit suicide if he doesn't complete the bridge in required deadline; on the other side, a daring English colonel who literally wants to take all by the book and demands the military status of the prisoners respected by his captors.

Both collide at first but then end up joining forces, in a way that we don't even realize what side the English are because their pride demands that the bridge be ready on time and be very good! Alec Guinness is the most notable actor, with a truly exceptional role and performance, but William Holden and Sessue Hayakawa also deserve applause for the way they stand.

There are other actors who have been great but I highlight these by the psychological game of their characters. There is a lot of psychology in this movie and its merit of this trio. Cinematography is also good, with warm light and colors giving us the true feel of the infernal heat of rainforest.

Another point I want to highlight is the costumes, especially prisoners. An army of rags. A final word to Colonel Bogey March who, with the film, became one of the most famous military marches in the world.