The Bridge on the River Kwai. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1. British- American epicwar film directed by David Lean and starring William Holden, Jack Hawkins, Alec Guinness, and Sessue Hayakawa. Based on the novel Le Pont de la Rivi. The movie was filmed in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). The bridge in the film was near Kitulgala. Carl Foreman was the initial screenwriter, but Lean replaced him with Michael Wilson. Both writers had to work in secret, as they were on the Hollywood blacklist and had fled to England in order to continue working. 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. In 1. 99. 7, the film was deemed . It is widely considered to be one of the greatest films in history. The commandant, Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa), informs them that all prisoners, regardless of rank, are to work on the construction of a railway bridge over the River Kwai that will connect Bangkok and Rangoon. The senior British officer, Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness), informs Saito that the Geneva Conventions exempt officers from manual labour. At the following morning's assembly, Nicholson orders his officers to remain behind when the enlisted men are sent off to work. Saito slaps him across the face with his copy of the conventions and threatens to have them shot, but Nicholson refuses to back down. When Major Clipton (James Donald), the British medical officer, intervenes, telling Saito there are too many witnesses for him to get away with murdering the officers, Saito leaves the officers standing all day in the intense tropical heat. That evening, the officers are placed in a punishment hut, while Nicholson is locked in an iron box. Meanwhile, three prisoners attempt to escape. The attractions in the city district of Kanchanaburi Province like the famouse Bridge on the River Kwai, the Death Railway, the JEATH War Museum, Kao Pun Cave, Chonk. Two are shot dead, but United States Navy Commander Shears (William Holden), gets away, although badly wounded. He stumbles into a village of natives who help him leave by boat. Nicholson refuses to compromise. Meanwhile, the prisoners are working as little as possible and sabotaging whatever they can. Should Saito fail to meet his deadline, he would be obliged to commit ritual suicide. Desperate, Saito uses the anniversary of Japan's victory in the Russo- Japanese War as an excuse to save face and announces a general amnesty, releasing Nicholson and his officers from manual labour. Nicholson conducts an inspection and is shocked by the poor job being done by his men. Over the protests of some of his officers, he allows Captain Reeves (Peter Williams) and Major Hughes (John Boxer) to design and build a proper bridge, despite its military value to the Japanese, for the sake of maintaining his men's morale. The Japanese engineers had chosen a poor site, so the original construction is abandoned and a new bridge is begun downstream. Shears is enjoying his hospital stay in Ceylon with a beautiful nurse (Ann Sears), when British Major Warden (Jack Hawkins) informs him that the U. S. Navy has transferred him over to the British to join a commando mission to destroy the bridge before it's completed. Shears is appalled at the idea of returning to a place from which he nearly died during escape. He confesses he is not an officer, but merely had appropriated an officer's uniform prior to his capture, expecting that this revelation will invalidate the transfer order. However, Warden responds he already knew the truth and tells Shears that the American Navy's desire to avoid dealing with the embarrassment of his actions is the very reason they agreed to his transfer. Assured that he will be allowed to retain the privileges of being an officer and accepting that he actually has no choice, Shears relents and . The commando team consists of four men. Meanwhile, Nicholson drives his men hard to complete the bridge on time. For him, its completion will exemplify the ingenuity and hard work of the British Army for generations, long after the war's end. With Timothy Bottoms, Nick Tate, George Takei, Edward Fox. A group of war prisoners from the Kwai bridge building camp undertake a. Il ponte sul fiume Kwai (The Bridge on the River Kwai) è un film del 1957 diretto da David Lean. Tratto dall'omonimo romanzo di Pierre Boulle, è un film epico che. Welcome to Download City, the ultimate destination for movie fans, where one can download any movie! We're one of the most prominent and the coolest websites on the. When he asks that their Japanese counterparts join in as well, a resigned Saito replies that he has already given the order. The commandos parachute in, with one man killed on landing, leaving three to complete the mission. Later, Warden is wounded in an encounter with a Japanese patrol and has to be carried on a litter. He, Shears, and Canadian Lieutenant Joyce (Geoffrey Horne) reach the river in time with the assistance of Siamese women bearers and their village chief, Khun Yai. Under cover of darkness, Shears and Joyce plant explosives on the bridge towers below the water line. A train carrying soldiers and important dignitaries is scheduled to be the first use of the bridge the following day, so Warden waits to destroy both. However, at daybreak the commandos are horrified to see that the water level has dropped, exposing the wire connecting the explosives to the detonator. Making a final inspection, Nicholson spots the wire and brings it to Saito's attention. As the train is heard approaching, they hurry down to the riverbank to investigate. The commandos are shocked that their own man is about to uncover the plot. Joyce, manning the detonator, breaks cover and stabs Saito to death.
Aghast, Nicholson yells for help, while attempting to stop Joyce from reaching the detonator. As he wrestles with Nicholson, Joyce tells Nicholson that he is a British officer under orders to destroy the bridge. When Joyce is shot dead by Japanese fire, Shears swims across the river, but is fatally wounded as he reaches Nicholson. Recognising the dying Shears, Nicholson exclaims, . The dazed colonel stumbles towards the detonator and collapses on the plunger just in time to blow up the bridge and send the train hurtling into the river below. Witnessing the carnage, Clipton shakes his head muttering, ! The curved- shaped truss spans are the originals on the bridge (constructed by the Japanese military during WWII) while the two trapezoidal- shaped bridge spans were provided by Japan as war reparations after the war ended in 1. Allied aircraft. The largely fictional film plot. During its construction, approximately 1. An estimated 8. 0,0. Malaya and the Dutch East Indies, or conscripted in Siam (Thailand) and Burma. Two labour forces, one based in Siam and the other in Burma, worked from opposite ends of the line towards the centre. Some consider the film to be an insulting parody of Toosey. Julie Summers, in her book The Colonel of Tamarkan, writes that Pierre Boulle, who had been a prisoner of war in Thailand, created the fictional Nicholson character as an amalgam of his memories of collaborating French officers. Toosey in fact did as much as possible to delay the building of the bridge. 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. A transcript of the interview and the documentary as a whole can be found in the new edition of John Coast's book Railroad of Death. The documentary itself was described by one newspaper reviewer when it was shown on Boxing Day 1. The Bridge on the River Kwai had been shown on BBC1 on Christmas Day 1. Their roles and characters, however, are fictionalised. For example, a Sergeant- Major Risaburo Saito was in real life second in command at the camp. In the film, a Colonel Saito is camp commandant. In reality, Risaburo Saito was respected by his prisoners for being comparatively merciful and fair towards them. Toosey later defended him in his war crimes trial after the war, and the two became friends. The destruction of the bridge as depicted in the film is entirely fictional. In fact, two bridges were built: a temporary wooden bridge and a permanent steel/concrete bridge a few months later. Both bridges were used for two years, until they were destroyed by Allied bombing. The steel bridge was repaired and is still in use today. This was an entertaining story. But I am writing a factual account, and in justice to these men—living and dead—who worked on that bridge, I must make it clear that we never did so willingly. We worked at bayonet point and under bamboo lash, taking any risk to sabotage the operation whenever the opportunity arose. In fact, Japanese engineers had been surveying the route of the railway since 1. The two did not collaborate on the script; Wilson took over after Lean was dissatisfied with Foreman's work. 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. Only in 1. 98. 4 did the Academy rectify the situation by retroactively awarding the Oscar to Foreman and Wilson, posthumously in both cases. Subsequent releases of the film finally gave them proper screen credit. David Lean himself also claimed that producer Sam Spiegel cheated him out of his rightful part in the credits since he had had a major hand in the script. Shears, who is a British commando officer like Warden in the novel, became an American sailor who escapes from the POW camp. Also, in the novel, the bridge is not destroyed: the train plummets into the river from a secondary charge placed by Warden, but Nicholson (never realising . Boulle nonetheless enjoyed the film version though he disagreed with its climax. Lean had a lengthy row with Guinness over how to play the role of Nicholson; Guinness wanted to play the part with a sense of humour and sympathy, while Lean thought Nicholson should be . Lean filmed the scene from behind Guinness, and exploded in anger when Guinness asked him why he was doing this. After Guinness was done with the scene, Lean said . Thank God that I'm starting work tomorrow with an American actor (William Holden). Bandaranaike, then Prime Minister of Ceylon, and a team of government dignitaries. However, cameraman Freddy Ford was unable to get out of the way of the explosion in time, and Lean had to stop filming. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1. Background. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1. World War II adventure/action, anti- war drama, was the first of director. David Lean's major multi- million dollar, wide- screen super- spectaculars (his. Lawrence of Arabia (1. Doctor Zhivago (1. The screenplay was based upon French author Pierre Boulle's. They. were post- humously credited years later, in late 1. Academy. ceremony. In reality, the actual bridge for the Burma Railway - depicted in the film - spanned the Mae Khlung River, not the Kwai River. It took 8 months to build. The two bridges were actually used until they were. Allied bombings - in late June, 1. The. memoirs of the 'real' Colonel Nicholson were compiled into a 1. Peter Davies entitled The Man Behind the Bridge: Colonel Toosey and the River Kwai. Today, the steel/concrete bridge has been rebuilt and is used by passenger trains - the river was renamed Kwae Yai ('Big Kwae') to accommodate tourists searching for the bridge from the film. Only Sessue Hayakawa, a former silent screen star and. Asian stars, who was nominated for his Best. Supporting Actor role as the hot- tempered Japanese colonel, lost. The film. created an additional stir when it debuted on ABC television on September. The two protagonists are symbols of different. With an all- male lead. The Story. Before and during the title credits, an evocative opening shows. The aerial camera view. A train with a machine- gunner. POWs in a World War. II Japanese prisoner of war camp. The camp inhabitants are building one link. Bangkok- Rangoon . Finish. work.. Dig dig. Shears and his Australian companion Weaver are placed on the sick list after. Japanese Captain with a cigarette lighter (taken from one of the. Shears lacks a commitment or adherence to any specific code or ideal. His cynically- stated. Here lies Corporal Herbert Thompson, serial number 0. King's own, and Queen's own, or something, who died of beriberi. Lord 1. 94. 3. For the greater glory of..(pause) what did. I don't mock the grave or the man. He. found little enough of it while he was alive. The camp's dutiful Japanese commandant, Colonel Saito (Sessue. Hayakawa), is interrupted and told of the arrival of the battalion. In. his bamboo hut, Saito is kneeling and dressed in a traditional kimono. Japanese print behind him. He hears the distant, insidious whistling. He orders the British. He also offers the inmates a motto: 'Be happy in. Rura Penthe was itself a reference to 2. Leagues Under. the Sea by Jules Verne - the name of the slave labor camp that inspired. Captain Nemo's rage against society and that was the location of his death. I am the commanding officer of this camp, which is Camp 1. Bangkok with Rangoon. You British. prisoners have been chosen to build a bridge across the River Kwai. It. will be pleasant work requiring skill, and officers will work as well. The Japanese Army cannot have idle mouths to feed. If you work. hard, you will be treated well. But if you do not work hard, you will. A word to you about escape. There is no barbed wire, no. They are not necessary. We are an island in. Tomorrow. you will begin. Let me remind you of General Yamashita's motto: 'Be happy. Dismissed! In brief cutaways to Shears from the side, the chief 'know- it- all' gravedigger. He condescendingly mocks. Brave, proud, and. British officer Colonel Nicholson refuses. Maintaining an iron- clad fixed. Saito by arguing that according. Geneva Convention, officers are not permitted to do manual labor alongside. Nicholson: I heard your remarks just now sir. I can assure you. British soldier. And naturally. I will be responsible for their conduct. Now sir, you may. Geneva Convention. Saito: Is that so? Nicholson: I happen to have a copy of the Convention with me and would be. Saito: That will not be necessary. He tells. the touring Nicholson that he and the Australian are the only remaining survivors. POWs who built the camp: . Other causes of death: famine, overwork, bullet wounds, snake bites. Saito. And then there were some who just got tired of living. I'm not anxious to get off the. Nicholson determines that escape is not only impossible but not. Shears: Oh, I'd say the odds against a successful escape are about. But may I add another word, Colonel.. The odds against survival. You've seen the graveyard. To even stop thinking about it is like accepting. Nicholson: Why haven't you tried to escape, Commander? Shears: Oh, I've been biding my time, waiting for the right moment, the right. Nicholson: I understand how you feel. Of course, it's normally the duty of. But my men and I are involved in a curious. In Singapore, we were ordered to surrender. Command Headquarters, ordered, mind you. Therefore, in our case, escape. Clipton: Yes, interesting point. Shears: I'm sorry sir. I didn't quite follow you. You mean you intend to uphold. Nicholson: Without law, Commander, there is no civilization. Shears: You just took my point. Here, there is no civilization. Nicholson: Then, we have the opportunity to introduce it. I suggest that we. As an English gentleman, Nicholson insists that his men. And remember this: our men must always feel. Japanese. So long as they have. As for me. I'm just a slave, a living slave. The next morning, Saito orders . As commanding warden, Saito insists. All men will work. Your officers will work beside you. This is only. just. For it is they who betray you by surrender. Your shame is their dishonor. Therefore, they will join you in useful. That is all. Stoically and stubbornly, Nicholson keeps his men standing in the hot sun. He cites Article 2. Geneva Convention to defend his. Equally determined in the stand- off with his armed men behind. Saito slaps Nicholson across the face with the tattered book, drawing. Saito: You speak to me of code. You are unworthy of command. My officers will. Saito: We shall see. From the hospital hut, Shears tells the doctor, Major. Clipton that he fears the worst about Saito's threat: . He's really. going to do it. I've seen and heard everything. So has every man. There are too many witnesses. You'll never get away with. Most of those men can't walk.. Is this your soldier's. Murdering unarmed men? Flies are heard buzzing on the soundtrack as the. Hours later at the end of the work day as the roasting sun. The defiant officers are still standing at attention in. All officers are ordered. Hands raised, the men. Colonel when he disappears inside. A few moments. later, his legs limp, Nicholson is dragged to a corrugated metal- encased sweat. The men pick up the tune: . Down- river. he manages to swim to safety. On the wall in Saito's quarters, behind. American pin- up calendar showing. February (. Clipton pleads to him that Nicholson's health is deteriorating. Geneva Treaty Accord. Clipton. learns that the Japanese commandant blames Nicholson (still in the oven) for. I. could have them all shot. Clipton: Then, who would build your bridge? Besides, are you sure it is sabotage? Your officers will work beside them. Clipton: That's for Colonel Nicholson to decide. As he pointed out, it's against. Saito: Do not speak to me of rules. This is not a game of cricket. Quite mad. Clipton is allowed five minutes in the oven to speak with Nicholson during. The imprisoned, highly- principled commander also believes. Saito is mad. In parallel fashion, he refuses to give in: Nicholson: That man's . Actually, I think he's mad.. Blackmail.. Clipton: I know, sir. It's a question of face. He can't give in. Nicholson: It's still blackmail. Clipton: Sir, you can't stand much more of this. And wouldn't the officers. The men are doing a wonderful. They're going as slow as they dare. But Saito has cut their food rations. That's all. there is to it. Nicholson: Yes Clipton, I understand, truly. It's a matter. of principle. If we give in now, there'll be no end to it. Into the searing sun elsewhere walks a weakened and dehydrated Shears. Vultures. begin to gather above him as he crawls through a parched wilderness. A vulture's. shadow turns into a colorful kite (of a red- headed bird), the playtoy of some. In the camp, Saito addresses the enlisted men about a lack. Saito announces that chief engineer Lt. The men are given.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
September 2017
Categories |