Get a whiff of this- Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Music and Score and a nomination for Best Supporting Actor- all for a single movie and that too as far back as in 1958? Yup thats what The Bridge On The River Kwai did, and ever since it has been heralded as a timeless classic, one of those rare movies that is a must-see for every movie buff. And not without due cause- it has served to be a watershed on film-making for almost all later movies, be it for the sterling performances by the cast, the stunning cinematography of the undisturbed forests of Ceylon, the mood-matching score or the directorial finesse.
The duo David Lean- Sam Spiegel created The Bridge On The River Kwai, whose other notable ventures include Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago . The story begins amid the Second World War, when a platoon of British soldiers under the command of Col. Nicholson (Alec Guiness) are captured and are brought to a Japanese camp in Burma (shot in present-day Sri Lanka) as POWs. Col. Saito (Sessue Hayakawa) is the overlord of the camp and at once, he puts the prisoners to work on building a railway bridge across the River Kwai. The bridge is pivotal in strengthening the hold of Japan in Southeast Asia and once completed, can aid the Japanese invasion of British India. With a time constrain of three months, Col. Nicholson and his men strive to complete the mammoth structure, while oblivious to a plan by Allied spies to blow up the bridge.
Though longer than most commercial Hollywood movies (about 3 hours), not even for a second does the story gets disoriented or tiresome. Special credit goes to director David Lean for keeping the movie so slick and fast-paced. The climax scenes are an edge-of-the-seat experience, something notable for an era when special effects were unheard of. Alec Guiness as Col. Nicholson gives an impeccable performance, every bit worthy of an Oscar. William Holden as the American Cmdt. Shears and Jack Hawkins as Major Warden are creditable, but the most applaudable performance is by Sessue Hayakawa as Col. Saito, who gives a perfect portrayal of a japanese colonel, torn under the great strains of commandeering a POW camp on one hand and supervising the construction of an enormous bridge on the other. The true beauty of lush evergreen rainforests are captured by the noteworthy cinematography, which makes each sweeping shot vibrant and breathtaking.
Watching The Bridge On The River Kwai comes as a refreshing experience, especially when you get tired of present day Hollywood flicks that can boast only of CG effects and no credible storyline. It makes you realise that the wow! factor isnt just confined to movies of the action genre, and that a good story and cast can go a long way to make a great movie. All in all, The Bridge On The River Kwai comes off as a truly appreciable bit of film making that confirms the fact that celluloid can also be sometimes converted into the canvas for a masterpiece. A must watch with two thumbs up!