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Movies / On DVD / The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Bridge on the River Kwai

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The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

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Reviews Counted:41

Fresh:39

Rotten:2

Average Rating:8.8/10

Consensus: This complex war epic asks hard questions, resists easy answers, and boasts career-defining work from star Alec Guinness and director David Lean.

Runtime: 2 hrs 47 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: One of the all-time great war films, THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI is yet another classic from the marvelous David Lean (LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, DR. ZHIVAGO). The film is an outstanding, psychologically... One of the all-time great war films, THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI is yet another classic from the marvelous David Lean (LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, DR. ZHIVAGO). The film is an outstanding, psychologically complex adaptation of Pierre Boulle's 1952 novel, a classic story of English POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. British and American intelligence officers conspire to blow up the structure, but Col. Nicholson (a fabulous Alec Guinness), the commander who supervised the bridge's construction, has acquired a sense of pride in his creation and tries to foil their plans. Although credited to screenwriter Carl Foreman, the script was actually written by blacklisted writer Michael Wilson. The film garnered seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor (Guinness). The climax is one of the great finales in film history. [More]

Starring: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa

Starring: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa, James Donald, Geoffrey Horne, Andre Morell, Peter Williams, Percy Herbert, Harold Goodwin, Ann Sears, K. Katsumoto, Henry Okawa

Director: David Lean

Director: David Lean
Screenwriter: Michael Henry Wilson, Carl Foreman
Producer: Sam Spiegel
Composer: Malcolm Arnold

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Bridge on the River Kwai

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21 - 40 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

No review available.

comment Comment
07/16/04
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

A spellbinding character study wrapped in a great adventure story.

comment Comment
05/07/04
Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)

No review available.

comment Comment
03/20/04
Nicolas Lacroix
Nicolas Lacroix
EnPrimeur.ca

No review available.

comment Comment
02/12/04
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

The big screen is the place to see this widescreen epic.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
10/01/03
Austin Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
08/22/03
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

This intelligent and exciting WWII tale, masterfully helmed by Lean (at the start of his 'epic' period), features a splendid performance from Guinness.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
07/30/03
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

In my opinion, it is one of the two best films to emerge from a very strong decade of cinema.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
07/03/03
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

Brilliant is the word, and no other, to describe the quality of skills that have gone into the making of this picture.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
03/05/03
Rebecca Murray
Rebecca Murray
About.com

somehow elevates what begins as a...tiresomely chest-beating Patriotism picture into one of the most gripping and unsimplified statements the cinema has ever made about war.

Full Review Source: Nick's Flick Picks | comment Comment
01/10/03
Nick Davis
Nick Davis
Nick's Flick Picks

One of the most rousing and inspiring war films, this is also a psychological battle of wills. The intensity between Hayakawa and Guinness is captivating.

Full Review Source: Zap2it.com | comment Comment
11/26/02
Michael Szymanski
Michael Szymanski
Zap2it.com

World War II classic receives brilliant presentation and provides fascinating perspective on DVD.

Full Review Source: Netflix | comment Comment
11/07/02
James Rocchi
James Rocchi
Netflix

Guinness is wonderful; one of the all-time greats. You can watch it a hundred times and it stills holds the same fascination and impact as the first viewing.

comment Comment
08/30/02
Bob Bloom
Bob Bloom
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

Hitler has only got one ball! Goering has two but very small

Full Review Source: Old School Reviews | comment Comment
02/13/01
John A. Nesbit
John A. Nesbit
Old School Reviews

The film has great themes ... fascinating characters expertly acted, a compelling plot and brilliant direction by one of the masters of the epic, David Lean.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dan Jardine
Dan Jardine
Apollo Guide

One of the best anti-war films ever made.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews

...stirring drama in a timeless setting.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

A tense, terrifying, absolutely riveting film about the ironies of war and the deadly psychological games enemy soldiers play with each other.

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
01/01/00
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

Most war movies are either for or against their wars. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) is one of the few that focuses not on larger rights and wrongs but on individuals.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
21 - 40 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 >> >|
all

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