Review of The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) by Collin B — 06 Apr 2013

This historically fictional movie focuses not only on the war itself in the Pacific but on individuals in a war situation. A column of British prisoners, lead by colonel Nicholson, are put in a POW camp in Burma run by a commander named Saito. The prisoners are forced to build a bridge that will transport Japanese supplies and men, as well as the sick, across the river by train.

The way the prisoners are treated, what they do, and the song they whistle, "The Colonel Bogey March", gives the film the essence of a war situation without reenacting an actual historical account. The scenery is so aesthetically pleasing to the eye, just like Lawrence of Arabia, and the contrast between this and the characters is done in such harmony that it adds to the war situation's realism.

The film communicates the ambiguous nature and relationship of man and technology. The bridge becomes the central motive and bondage that allows the installation of man's work to pull through in the POW camp. Because Nicholson is so interconnected with this bridge, he does not want misfortune to fall upon his creation as it represents everything he and his men stand for.

In conclusion, this film is a vital part in American filmmaking as it displays everything a war movie should stand for. This will transcend history as a near-perfect movie experience for the understanding of war and the ideology between man and technology.