The Bridge On The River Kwai
Drama, War
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment  (1957) 162 mins PG

8.5 (47,257 votes) Top 250: #66
When British P.O.W.s build a vital railway bridge in enemy-occupied Burma, Allied commandos are assigned to destroy it in David Lean's epic World War II adventure The Bridge On The River Kwai

Spectacularly produced, The Bridge On The River Kwai captured the imagination of the public and won seven 1957 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Alec Guinness), and Best Director. Even its theme song, an old WWI whistling tune, the "Colonel Bogey March," became a massive wordwide hit. The Bridge On The River Kwai continues today as one of the most memorable cinematic experiences of all time....

Play Movie Pt1

Play Movie Pt2
Cast and Crew
Alec Guinness  ......  Col. Nicholson
Jack Hawkins  ......  Maj. Warden
William Holden  ......  Cmdr. Shears
Ann Sears  ...... 
James Donald  ......  Maj. Clipton
Sessue Hayakawa  ......  Col. Saito
Director  .....  David Lean
Producer  .....  Sam Spiegel
Writer  .....  Michael J. Wilson; Carl Foreman; Pierre Boulle; Michael Wilson
Notes
Goofs:
Errors in geography: Both scenes are wrong: the actual line would have been 1 metre gauge, as it connected existing Thai and Burmese metre-gauge routes. (more)

Trivia:
While the bridge in the story was constructed by prisoners in two months, the actual one built in Ceylon by a British company for the filming (425 feet long and 50 feet above the water) took eight months, with the use of 500 workers and 35 elephants. It was demolished in a matter of seconds, and the total cost was 85,000 pounds (equivalent to about 1.2 million pounds in 2002). (more)

Filming Locations:
Ambepussa, Sri Lanka (more)

Quotes:
Colonel Nicholson: I'm adamant. I will not have an officer from my battalion working as a coolie. (more)

Awards:
Won 7 Oscars. Another 23 wins & 5 nominations (more)