Film for the Soul

As voted by the Film for the Soul community. This post can also be found at The Carnival of Cinema over at Good News Film Reviews.

No. 16 - The Bridge on the River Kwai (David Lean, 1957) Ranked #204

"What have I done?" - Colonel Nicholson

Based on the novel of the same name, published in 1954, by Pierre Boulle, The Bridge on the River Kwai was the first of David Lean's spectacular multi-million pound epic's, followed by Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Doctor Zhivago (1965), that brought international acclaim and Oscars galore to the already renowned director of smaller, more intimate films such as Brief Encounter (1945) and Oliver Twist (1948). Shot in extremely difficult conditions on location in Ceylon, Sri Lanka and produced by Sam Spiegel, The Bridge on the River Kwai cemented Lean's reputation as a director as well as foreshadowing the domination he was to have over the box-office for years to come.

The film opens up with a lingering shot of a hawk, hovering high in the sky, before cutting to a birds eye view of a jungle, as we take in the density the camera catches a glimpse of a spattering of crudely dug graves adorned with crosses sitting idly by a railway line. Focusing on the graves we are introduced to two raggedy clothed men, one of whom is Major Sears (William Holden), an American prisoner of war, digging the graves of his fallen comrades; fellow prisoners who have fallen due to hard labour, disease or starvation. The realities of the camp are laid bare within this opening scene, the following dialogue is littered with the gallows humour of men that have become far too accustomed to death.



No better example of this theme is displayed than the initial meeting between Saito and Nicholson, both highly decorated Colonel's, uncanny in their similarities. On being told that all soldiers, including the British officers, must do manual work on the Burma railway line Nicholson refuses point blank to give up command of his troop, citing the Geneva convention, article 27, which stipulates that no officer shall do manual work in POW camps; in an inspired moment he even produces a copy of the document he had folded up in his top pocket. In a stand off, of pride and ego, Saito slaps Nicholson and smacks the book out of his hand, "Don't speak to me of rules. This is war! This is not a game of cricket!".

Blood trickling down his chin, Nicholson merely composes himself and retains the document now sitting in the dust and so begins the merry dance of the battling wills. The scenes between Saito and Nicholson are the heartbeat of the film, the resolute and pride before a fall Colonels taking each other on in a battle neither will eventually win. Despite beating and throwing Nicholson in the 'oven'; a small tin shack that sits alone, unimpressive in the middle of the glaring sun, Saito admits defeat, realising he needs Nicholson more than Nicholson needs him. Without the help of Nicholson, Saito will miss his deadline and will be obliged to commit hari-kari, in an omission to the British Colonel, Saito says

"Do you know what will happen to me if the bridge is not built on time?'
"I haven't the foggiest"
I'll have to kill myself. What would you do if you were me?"
"I suppose if I were you....I'd have to kill myself."


This scene, conducted over a bottle of Scotch and a plate of corn beef, is one of the films more poignant moments. There's something about Nicholson admission to being home only for 10 months in his 28 year service and Saito's acknowledgment that he's not a military careerist and that he learned to speak English at University in London, that strikes at the core of the films underlying focus on character, on humanity, rather than exploiting binary good and evil. It's to the films credit that the Japanese aren't demonised, or that the British come off as the good guys, in Lean's eyes all of them are as mad as each other.

Playing in the backdrop to Saito and Nicholson, Sears has meanwhile attempted and just about succeeds in escaping from the camp, a feat which will ultimately destroy him. The character of Sears comes into his own in the second half of the film; an extra weight to the first half that helps to explain the function of the camp but doesn't develop the character beyond a caricature. Sear's doesn't subscribe to the same moral code as Nicholson or Saito and is only interested in looking out for number one. On learning that he's been lying about his rank Major Warden, played by Jack Hawkins), excellent here as the Oxford Don turned commando, gives him a catch-22 ultimatum; return to America in disgrace or take the suicide mission in returning to the camp to blow up the bridge.

The construction of the bridge becomes an obsession for Nicholson, a self-gratifying egotistical driven project which he hides behind notions of raising the troops morale. Dr. Major Clipton (James Donald) isn't convinced and becomes the voice of the spectator, "The fact is, what we're doing could be construed as - forgive me sir - collaboration with the enemy. Perhaps even as treasonable activity. Must we work so well?" Again this is refuted by Nicholson, yet you can see the madness bubbling away, under the surface. In the capable hands of Alec Guinness, Colonel Nicholson's madness is free of facial ticks and bouts of frenzy, he plays him stoic, dignified and controlled, the madness slowly erupting towards the end of the film with slow and twisted logic before his final epiphany and one final act of sanity.

First and foremost The Bridge on the River Kwai is a fantastic yarn, brilliantly acted and carefully paced. Lean's epic is filmed on a grand scale yet totally able to concentrate on the nuances of character and narrative, never losing touch with the essentials of the story and giving us a film full of visual flair and grandeur. It seems a shame that this sort of film making is now lost, contemporary films of this scale aren't made with half the intelligence, or ideas, of Lean's anti-war epic. Playing against the war genre, a tagged on action/adventure story during the second half of the film involving Shears and Warden feels more genre orientated, Lean occupies himself with the futility and insanity of war, the death throes of imperialistic empires and how the madness spreads to all involved.


The film's final moments are legendary; the steady drip feed of madness finally explodes on the screen in a bout of insanity so destructive it's hard to watch. As the commando outfit rig up the bridge with explosives, the British troops enjoy a put together show; Nicholson walks upon his creation, a placard now decorates the structure declaring the builders responsible are the British army, this is the proudest moment of his career. His madness peaks the next day, moments before the arrival of the first train, when he discovers one of the explosive wires connected to his love, now exposed in the river bed that has, unexpectedly, receded from the night before.

In what proves to be a fatal decision, Nicholson alerts Saito to his discovery as both men follow the wire to it's source. The interplay between the main characters in this one last scene of utter insanity is short and very bittersweet, as the bodies start to fall around him; Sears at his feet having decided to join the war effort after all, dying, looks up and shouts at him "I should have killed you when I had the chance". We know how he feels. Slowly you see it dawn on the once great military man - "What have I done?" - madness has swept him up and moral judgment has flown out the window. Watching the whole event is Dr Major Clipton, once again he voices the audiences reaction, with a startled look on his face, unable to say anything else he simply says:

'Madness!....Madness!'.
Originally posted on:Film for the Soul