The cast includes William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, and . [31], On a BBC Timewatch programme, a former prisoner at the camp states that it is unlikely that a man like the fictional Nicholson could have risen to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and, if he had, due to his collaboration he would have been "quietly eliminated" by the other prisoners. Only in 1984 did the Academy rectify the situation by retroactively awarding the Oscar to Foreman and Wilson, posthumously in both cases. The plot and characters of Boulle's novel and the screenplay were almost entirely fictional. A temporary wooden bridge was completed at the beginning of 1943 and a few months later the steel bridge (which can be seen today) was finished. Victory over the Japanese navy at Midway in June 1942 had created a turning point in the Far East and Pacific. [39], The major railway bridge described in the novel and film did not actually cross the river known at the time as the Kwai. The Hitchhiker's Guide has this to say about John Rabon: When not pretending to travel in time and space, eating bananas, and claiming that things are "fantastic", John lives in North Carolina. [9], The film was relatively faithful to the novel, with two major exceptions. "[57], Some Japanese viewers have disliked the film's depiction of the Japanese characters and the historical background presented as being inaccurate, particularly in the interactions between Saito and Nicholson. The Bridge on the River Kwai Facts for Kids. 2. To counter the Allies tightening grip on supply lines, the Japanese army resurrected an old idea first mooted by regional powers in the late 19th century: to build a railway between Myanmar and Siam. Bandaranaike, then Prime Minister of Ceylon, and a team of government dignitaries. The film was based on the 1952 novel Bridge over the River Kwai by Pierre Boulle. [40] Boulle had never been to the bridge. The classic story of English POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. Lets examine the history behind the film and the men who made it. The movie was mainly filmed in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and also in England. Some Thailand River cruises begin in Bangkok and lead along the Mekong River to destinations in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Ernest Gordon, a survivor of the railway construction and POW camps described in the novel/film, stated in his 1962 book, Through the Valley of the Kwai: In Pierre Boulle's book The Bridge over the River Kwai and the film which was based on it, the impression was given that British officers not only took part in building the bridge willingly, but finished in record time to demonstrate to the enemy their superior efficiency. Madness!" So go the tragic final words of David Lean's The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), a spectacular and deeply-moving WWII adventure film that still entertains and challenges over sixty years later. Colonel Saito, the camp commandant, informs the new prisoners they will all work, even officers, on the construction of a railway bridge over the River Kwai that will connect Bangkok and Rangoon. The movie is based on the novel "Le Pont de la Riviere Kwai" by Pierre Boulle. These problems resulted in a number of anomalies that were very difficult to correct, like a ghosting effect in many scenes that resembles colour mis-registration, and a tick-like effect with the image jumping or jerking side-to-side. By the end, prisoners working on the rail route werent calling it the Burma-Siam Railway. Everywhere in the jungle, the graveyards made their appearance; starting in a small way they gradually grew bigger, until when the railway was completed at the end of the year, thousands of bodies lay in the jungle from one end to the other.. He served as an adviser during the making of the movie. Warden responds that he already knew and that the US Navy had agreed to transfer him to the British SOE with the simulated rank of Major to avoid embarrassment. Begun in October 1942, using prisoner of war (POW) labour, it was completed and operational by early February 1943. The film was directed by David Lean and starred William Holding, Jack Hawkins and academy award winner Sir Alex Guinness. THE HEAD OF COLUMBIA PICTURES FORCED LEAN TO ADD A LOVE SCENE. The region was seized by the Japanese in 1942, and they then set about making preparations . Moreover, Kanchanaburi has an annual "Bridge Over the River Kwai" week, which has a sound show to relive the moments of World War II. At all. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 epic war film directed by David Lean and based on the 1952 novel written by Pierre Boulle.Although the film uses the historical setting of the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942-1943, the plot and characters of Boulle's novel and the screenplay are almost entirely fictional. Nicholson will not cooperate and finally insists that the bridge can be built only under his command. The Bridge on the River Kwai. Lean filmed the scene from behind Guinness and exploded in anger when Guinness asked him why he was doing this. There's a stench of death about you. Both bridges stood for two years and were destroyed by bombers in 1945. In January 1943, a base hospital was organised to care for sick and injured prisoners and labourers. [3] Since it was not a documentary, there are many historical inaccuracies in the film, as noted by eyewitnesses to the building of the real Burma Railway by historians.[30][31][32][33]. Lean had a lengthy row with Guinness over how to play the role of Nicholson; the actor wanted to play the part with a sense of humour and sympathy, while Lean thought Nicholson should be "a bore." Or maybe you have a story for us or would like to work together. All Rights Reserved. Save up to 50% on Thailand River Cruises August 2024. But poor old Goebbels Unlike the other two, it is not located in Thailand. Just two months later, Lieutenant Lamb was dead. She spent most of the next 42 years working as a copy editor and editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. The trials of Australian Army Lieutenant George Hamilton Lamb reflected the mens awful experience building the Burma-Siam Death Railway. Despite this, he won an Oscar and a Grammy. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a work of fiction, but borrows the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942 to 1943 for its historical setting. The film won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor (Guinness), not to mention a handful of Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and even a Grammy nomination for its soundtrack. Rather than draw on their own corps of manpower, which was busy fighting an eventual losing battle against encroaching Allied forces, it would put its legions of POWs and local forced labourers to work. He also didn't like hearing that he was Lean's second choice for the role, a fact made more awkward when he arrived in Ceylon and Lean greeted him with, "Of course, you know I really wanted Charles Laughton." Both writers had to work in secret, as they were on the Hollywood blacklist and had fled to the UK in order to continue working. Today, he rests alongside his fellow POWs in Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery in Burma (Myanmar). In 1985, the Academy officially recognized Foreman and Wilson as the screenwriters and posthumously awarded the Oscar to them. The majority of its smaller components are originals, while a few are post-war replacements. [35], Lieutenant Colonel Philip Toosey of the British Army was the real senior Allied officer at the bridge in question. Young: "Donald, did anyone whistle Colonel Bogey as they did in the film?" Nicholson's obsession with the bridge eventually drives him to allow his officers to volunteer to engage in manual labor. The actual name of "Bridge on the River Kwai", on the 258 mile long Burma Railway between Ban Pong, Thailand, and Thanbyuzayat, Burma, built from 1940-1944, was called Bridge 277. It was released in the US on December 14, 1957, taking in a reported $17M+, which made it the highest-grossing film of 1957. Along with 1,250 other POWs, he died while in transit from Singapore to Japan aboard the Rakuyo Maro transport ship after it was torpedoed by a US submarine. Check out where to stay in Kanchanaburi and book an accommodation of your choice. The Mount Lavinia Hotel was used as a location for the hospital. To learn more about the men behind the real story of the Bridge on the River Kwai, and to discover the casualties, please use our Find War Dead tool. This article is part of our Classic Film Throwback series - By Sam Hendrian - "Madness. In 1997, the film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress. 16- "You make me sick with your heroics! Highly competent work is also done by William Holden, Jack Hawkins and Sessue Hayakawa". FIFTY years ago waves of Liberator bombers were deliberately destroying a remarkable feat of engineering. Following the raids, Thanbyuzayat was evacuated. The young soldier from Suffolk was dispatched to work on the bridge over the River Kwai, one of the railway's most daunting engineering projects. 21. It worked. 13. [40], The Bridge on the River Kwai was a massive commercial success. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. There were no facilities on the island of Ceylon to process film rushes, so the days filming had to be flown to London to be processed and then flown back out to Ceylon. Like Chungkai and Kanchanaburi, Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery was originally part of the camp set up serving the Burma-Siams construction. The Japanese Railway Regiment forced thousands of allied POWs and natives to build the . Basically, the bridge was built during World War II when the Japanese occupied Siam (now Thailand) and neighboring Burma (now Myanmar . During WW II, Japan constructed the meter-gauge railway line from Ban Pong, Thailand to Thanbyuzayat, Burma. The conditions to which POW and civilian labourers were subjected were far worse than the film depicted. He shows a rare sense of humor and a feeling for the poetry of situation; and he shows the even rarer ability to express these things, not in lines but in lives. The weather is good, not hot The train passes at 10 AM and the train returns at 4 PM. 6. John Coast, a young British officer who went on to become a successful filmmaker who spent three and half years as a Japanese POW, said: As nobody should ever have need telling, the picture is a load of high-toned codswallop.. Please select which sections you would like to print: Pat Bauer graduated from Ripon College in 1977 with a double major in Spanish and Theatre. The site's critical consensus reads, "This complex war epic asks hard questions, resists easy answers, and boasts career-defining work from star Alec Guinness and director David Lean. Put on your marching boots and whistle a jaunty tune as we investigate some behind-the-scenes facts about this enduring war film. Let's talk about British Food! Sessue Hayakawa edited his copy of the script to contain only his lines of dialog. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 epic war film directed by David Lean and based on the 1952 novel written by Pierre Boulle. No visit to the Western Front is complete without a trip to The CWGC Visitor Centre. Toosey in fact did as much as possible to delay the building of the bridge. In fact, two bridges were built: a temporary wooden bridge and a permanent steel/concrete bridge a few months later. In 1941 the Japanese Army invaded Thailand. It was 425 feet long, 90 feet high, and cost $52,085 out of the film's $2 million budget. POWs and indentured labourers were worked to death while busy constructing the railway simultaneously. But Laughton, a fine actor with such credits as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) on his resume, was in poor physical shapegreat for playing the corpulent Henry VIII in Young Bess (1953), not so great for playing a British military officer in a prison camp. In 1997, this film was deemed "culturally . Thanbyuzayat is in Myanmar. Clipton objects, believing this to be collaboration with the enemy. Other parts have been placed in various local war museums. Its a charming, idyllic spot, belying the intense horror and suffering the men who built it went through. This film is taken from a popular novel written by Pierre Boulle in 1952. Aerial reconnaissance photo of the Steel Bridge taken during a bombing raid. . [50] William Holden was also credited for his acting for giving a solid characterization that was "easy, credible and always likeable in a role that is the pivot point of the story". By daybreak, however, the river level has dropped, exposing the wire connecting the explosives to the detonator. But whats the real story? The Colonel Bogey strain was accompanied by a counter-melody using the same chord progressions, then continued with film composer Malcolm Arnold's own composition, "The River Kwai March", played by the off-screen orchestra taking over from the whistlers, though Arnold's march was not heard in completion on the soundtrack. The film"s story was loosely based on a true World War II incident, and the real-life character of Lieutenant Colonel Philip Toosey. She retired Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Chungkai War Cemetery is something of a sister site to Kanchanaburi. Lean shouted at them, 'For God's sake, whistle a march to keep time to.' While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Have a question about us or our work? (Spiegel got a British military adviser to help with that side of things, too.). Corrections? Updates? Colonel Nicholson, arrive at a Japanese prison camp in Thailand. The official credit was given to Pierre Boulle (who did not speak English), and the resulting Oscar for Best Screenplay (Adaptation) was awarded to him. After a few days, the British medical officer Major Clipton (James Donald) tries to persuade both Saito and Nicholson to compromise, but both are unyielding. This is now known as the Death Railway. The real Bridge over the River Kwai is bridge 277 of the Burma-Siam Railway. At their head was Lieutenant-Colonel Phillip Toosey. The River Kwai, also known as Khwae Noi or Khwae Sai Yok is a river located in the western region of Thailand. Mortally wounded, he falls onto the plunger, the bridge is blown up, and the train with the dignitaries falls into the river. 16. A real train rode over the bridge as it blew up. (Lean denied ever wanting Laughton for the role, despite abundant documented evidence to the contrary.). The bridge cost $250,000 to build. See details. An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 civilians also died in the course of the project, chiefly forced labour brought from Malaya and the Dutch East Indies, or conscripted in Siam (Thailand) and Burma. [14][15], The film was an international co-production between companies in Britain and the United States. "The Bridge on the River Kwai" was set in 1942, shortly after the fall of Singapore. Take a look below for 28 more fun and interesting facts about The Bridge on the . Lean insisted that Laughton could lose weight before shooting began, but Columbia Pictures' insurance underwriters refused to cover him, saying he was too unhealthy to endure several months on location in the jungles of Ceylon. Tracy had read the book and told Spiegel emphatically that the part must be played by an Englishman. Here is 'Minder' telling me to get the timber off the base and start cutting up the dowels. As a result, Boulle, who did not speak English, was credited and received the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay; many years later, Foreman and Wilson posthumously received the Academy Award.[4]. Has something sim'lar ", The screenwriters, Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson, were on the Hollywood blacklist and, even though living in exile in England, could only work on the film in secret. The march was written in 1914 by Kenneth J. Alford, a pseudonym of British Bandmaster Frederick J. Ricketts. While the British prisoners celebrate their accomplishment that night, the commandoes wire the bridge with explosives to be detonated by a plunger operated by a hidden soldier, timed to collapse the bridge just as an inaugural train carrying Japanese dignitaries is crossing it. Roger Ebert focused on the symbolism of the bridge in this 1999 description: "[The war] narrows down to a single task, building a . Train crossing the wooden bridge which spanned the Mae Klong River (renamed Kwai Yai River in 1960). Did he really want the enemy to come in across it? Approximately 5 kilometres north of Kanchanaburi there were two bridges that were built by POWs during the war. Some sections, such as the infamous Hellfire Pass, required carving through tough sheer rock. Witnessing the carnage, Clipton shakes his head and mutters, "Madness! The bridges were quickly repaired with the use of POW labour from the camp at Tha . In early 1943, a contingent of British prisoners of war, led by Lt. Over 65,000 Allied P.O.W.s battled torture, starvation, and disease to hack the 255-mile railway out of harsh jungle for the Japanese. In 1957 the movie, The Bridge on the River Kwai, premiered in London and became the biggest grossing film of 1958, winning seven academy awards in the process, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Musical Score, Best Cinematography and Best Editing.Not bad for a movie that is largely a work of almost entirely fictional characters and a story which . The documentary itself was described by one newspaper reviewer when it was shown on Boxing Day 1974 (The Bridge on the River Kwai had been shown on BBC1 on Christmas Day 1974) as "Following the movie, this is a rerun of the antidote."[37]. Sam Spiegel bought the railroad train from the Ceylonese government. - Colonel Saito, 'The Bridge on the River Kwai '. Kanchanaburi is served by a rail service from Bangkok Noi . It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, wining seven -- including Best Picture . Shears is enjoying his hospital stay in Ceylon unwittingly within a commando school referred to as "Force 316" (likely based on the real world Force 136 of the Special Operations Executive (SOE)). To keep costs down, producer Sam Spiegel decided not to hire any extras, using crew members and Ceylon locals instead. The actual bridge on the River Kwai is located in Thailand, and stretches over a part of the Mae Klong river, which was renamed Khwae Yai (Thai for big tributary). Despite the nightmarish conditions, and equipped only with the most basic of tools, the POWs pulled off an amazing feat of engineering. The screenplay was instead credited to the novelist, Boullewhich was quite a feat, since he didnt speak or read English. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. It is close to, but not over the country's border with Myanmar. 22. Explore the CWGC Archive through our online portal. Bangkok-Kanchanaburi, by train or private transport, for the Bridge on River Kwai; Kanchanaburi-Nam Tok, by train or private transport, for Death Railway and Hellfire Pass; You can book your bus tickets online and in advance here. Spiegel finally sent Michael Wilson to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), where Lean was in pre-production, and the two worked together to hammer out the final version. Interested in advertising on the world's largest website dedicated to all things Britain? Nicholson is shocked by the poor job being done by his men and orders the building of a proper bridge, intending it to stand as a tribute to the British Army's ingenuity for centuries to come. In reality, Risaburo Saito was respected by his prisoners for being comparatively merciful and fair towards them. However, in 1943 a railway bridge was built by Allied POWs over the Mae Klong river renamed Khwae Yai in the 1960s as a result of the film at Tha Ma Kham, five kilometres from Kanchanaburi, Thailand. But in 1966, the film aired on American . [56] Warren Buffett said it was his favorite movie. 25. Shears, who is a British commando officer like Warden in the novel, became an American sailor who escapes from the POW camp. The Burma-Siam Railways construction necessitated construction of over 670 bridges and numerous cuttings. The bridge depicted in the film is most definitely real. The Bridge On The River Kwai Trivia: Fun And Interesting Facts About The Bridge On The River Kwai: Fascinating Facts About The Bridge on the River Kwai - Kindle edition by Randolph, Amanda. This film is produced by Sam Spiegel, and the music is composed by Malcolm Arnold for . Death Railway was bombed heavily by the Allies from 1943 onwards. Sessue Hayakawa considered his performance as Saito as the highlight of his career. In many tense, dramatic scenes, only the sounds of nature are used. The action of the movie takes place in a Japanese prisoner-of-war (POW) camp in . These issues, running throughout the film, were addressed to a lesser extent on various previous DVD releases of the film and might not have been so obvious in standard definition.[67]. 27. While the story is fiction, the broader setting--including the construction of the Burmese railway--is based on historical events. It is also known as the "River Kwai March". The bridge is still in everyday use as part of the Bangkok-Nam Tok line. Subsequent releases of the film finally gave them proper screen credit. By this time, the United States and its naval and industrial might had entered the war. The bridge they build will become a symbol of service and survival to one prisoner, Colonel Nicholson, a proud perfectionist. The Bridge on the River Kwai, British-American war film, released in 1957 and directed by David Lean, that was both a critical and popular success and became an enduring classic. Since it first graced the silver screen won the admiration of audiences everywhere and continues to do so. After the war, their remains were moved from these makeshift cemeteries and graveyards to purpose-built Commission sites. Questions or feedback on our new site? Its this structure, Bridge 277, that still stands and is a famous local tourist attraction. The film won seven Academy Awards (including Best Picture) at the 30th Academy Awards. He was listed as missing in action in June 1943. As the train approaches, they hurry down to the riverbank to investigate. The British Film Institute placed The Bridge on the River Kwai as the 11th greatest British film. [31] He strongly denied the claim that the book was anti-British, although many involved in the film itself (including Alec Guinness) felt otherwise.[36]. [51] Time magazine praised Lean's directing, noting he demonstrates "a dazzlingly musical sense and control of the many and involving rhythms of a vast composition. In the movie the bridge is destroyed by commandos. He is commemorated on the Labuan Memorial, Malaysia. For the scene when Colonel Nicholson emerges from the oven after several days confined there, Alec Guinness based his faltering walk on that of his son Matthew Guinness when he was recovering from polio. Nicholson spots the wire and brings it to Saito's attention. At its behest, Sam Spiegel asked David Lean to incorporate a love scene. Explore the story of the CWGC, from our formation during the First World War to our work today. Warden tells the Siamese women that he had to prevent anyone from falling into enemy hands, and leaves with them. Leadership Analysis: The Bridge On The River Kwai. Reviews There are no reviews yet. The place: Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in Burma. Dying, Nicholson stumbles toward the detonator and falls on the plunger, blowing up the bridge and sending the train hurtling into the river. The Bridge On The River Kwai was the first of David Lean's five epic films and the third of six movies that he made with Alec Guinness. The finished screenplay had significant contributions from both Wilson and Foreman, though each went to his grave insisting he was the more important contributor. [11] Guinness admitted that Lean "didn't particularly want me" for the role, and thought about immediately returning to England when he arrived in Ceylon and Lean reminded him that he wasn't the first choice. [34] According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission: The notorious Burma-Siam railway, built by Commonwealth, Dutch and American prisoners of war, was a Japanese project driven by the need for improved communications to support the large Japanese army in Burma. comment. 23. 20. It was set up at the beginning of the Burma-Siams construction. This Oscar-winning epic is part of movie folklore and widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever so I really wanted to see the area where director David Lean shot it way back in 1957. Check here to see our open positions and volunteer roles. Lean only got $150,000 himself, but he always said Holden was worth it. After Guinness was done with the scene, Lean said, "Now you can all fuck off and go home, you English actors. Unique to this film, in some ways, were other issues related to poorly made optical dissolves, the original camera lens and a malfunctioning camera. It was not long before the Japanese army overrunning Java captured Lieutenant Lamb and his men. 4. Tooseys men stated this never happened. He had basically retired when Lean approached him to play Colonel Saito in Kwai, a performance that earned Hayakawa an Oscar nomination. He was contracted for $150,000 to be paid in installments. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Camps were set up at 100-metre intervals. [26], A memorable feature of the film is the tune that is whistled by the POWsthe first strain of the "Colonel Bogey March"when they enter the camp. Toosey would provide the inspiration for Lt. Col Nicholson portrayed by Alec Guinness in the 1957 film. does not fall onto the plunger, and the bridge suffers only minor damage. Rather than start building at two ends and meet in the middle, as per normal railway construction, the Japanese created hundreds of camps across its lengths. After the enlisted men are marched to the bridge site, Saito threatens to have the officers shot, until Major Clipton, the British medical officer, warns Saito there are too many witnesses for him to get away with murder. It also won the BAFTA Award for Best British Screenplay. [31][32] Some consider the film to be an insulting parody of Toosey. They felt none of the Bridge on the River Kwai cast could fully understand or represent what it was like to be there. The Burma-Siam Railway was 250 miles of railway constructed by Allied prisoners of war alongside forced Asian labourers. Construction began before anyone had been cast. While Nicholson disapproves of acts of sabotage and other deliberate attempts to delay progress, Toosey encouraged this: termites were collected in large numbers to eat the wooden structures, and the concrete was badly mixed. Both bridges were used for two years, until they were destroyed by Allied bombing. The railway ran for 250 miles from Ban Pong, Thailand to Thanbyuzayat, Burma and is now known as the Death Railway. They would work in appalling conditions, given minuscule amounts of food, snatches of sleep, and little to no medical treatment.
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