| Photos (see all 50 | slideshow) | Videos |
| William Holden | ... | Cmdr. Shears | |
| Jack Hawkins | ... | Maj. Warden | |
| Alec Guinness | ... | Col. Nicholson | |
| Sessue Hayakawa | ... | Col. Saito | |
| James Donald | ... | Maj. Clipton | |
| Geoffrey Horne | ... | Lt. Joyce | |
| André Morell | ... | Col. Green (as Andre Morell) | |
| Peter Williams | ... | Capt. Reeves | |
| John Boxer | ... | Maj. Hughes | |
| Percy Herbert | ... | Pvt. Grogan | |
| Harold Goodwin | ... | Pvt. Baker, Sick List Volunteer | |
| Ann Sears | ... | Nurse at Siamese hospital | |
| Heihachiro Okawa | ... | Capt. Kanematsu (as Henry Okawa) | |
| Keiichiro Katsumoto | ... | Lt. Miura | |
| M.R.B. Chakrabandhu | ... | Yai (as M.R.B. Chakrabandhu {Col. Broome}) | |
| Vilaiwan Seeboonreaung | ... | Siamese girl | |
| Ngamta Suphaphongs | ... | Siamese girl | |
| Javanart Punynchoti | ... | Siamese girl | |
| Kannikar Dowklee | ... | Siamese girl |
Directed by | |||
| David Lean | |||
Writing credits(WGA) | ||
| Pierre Boulle | (novel "Le pont de la rivière Kwai") | |
| Michael Wilson | (screenplay) originally uncredited and | |
| Carl Foreman | (screenplay) originally uncredited | |
Produced by | |||
| Sam Spiegel | .... | producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| Malcolm Arnold | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Jack Hildyard | (director of photography) | ||
Art Direction by | |||
| Donald M. Ashton | |||
Makeup Department | |||
| Stuart Freeborn | .... | makeup artist | |
| George Partleton | .... | makeup artist | |
Production Management | |||
| Cecil F. Ford | .... | production manager | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Gus Agosti | .... | assistant director | |
| Ted Sturgis | .... | assistant director | |
Art Department | |||
| Geoffrey Drake | .... | assistant art director | |
| Peter Dukelow | .... | construction manager | |
Sound Department | |||
| John Cox | .... | sound | |
| Joel Fein | .... | sound mixer (restoration) | |
| Don Hall | .... | sound editor: restoration | |
| Gary Krivacek | .... | sound editor: restoration | |
| Bob Minkler | .... | sound mixer (restoration) | |
| John W. Mitchell | .... | sound (as John Mitchell) | |
| Winston Ryder | .... | chief sound editor | |
| B. Tennyson Sebastian III | .... | sound mixer: restoration (as Tennyson Sebastian) | |
| Peter Davies | .... | post-synchronisation (uncredited) | |
Stunts | |||
| Nosher Powell | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| Archie Dansie | .... | chief electrician | |
| Peter Newbrook | .... | camera operator | |
| Ron Drinkwater | .... | clapper loader (uncredited) | |
| Gerry Fisher | .... | additional camera operator (uncredited) | |
| Gerry Fisher | .... | assistant camera (uncredited) | |
| Robert Merry | .... | lighting technician (uncredited) | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| John Wilson-Apperson | .... | wardrober (as John Apperson) | |
Editorial Department | |||
| Pam Bosworth | .... | additional editor (as Pamela Bosworth) | |
| Eric Boyd-Perkins | .... | additional editor | |
| Fred Burnley | .... | additional editor | |
| Rusty Coppleman | .... | additional editor | |
| Teddy Darvas | .... | additional editor | |
| Janet Davidson | .... | additional editor | |
| Norma Hawkes | .... | additional editor | |
| Peter Miller | .... | additional editor | |
| William Pine | .... | color timer (restoration) (as Bill Pine) | |
| Peter Taylor | .... | chief editor | |
| Sati Tooray | .... | colorist (uncredited) | |
Other crew | |||
| Angela Martelli | .... | continuity | |
| Jim Painten | .... | producer of restoration | |
| L.E.M. Perowne | .... | technical advisor (as Major-Gen. L.E.M. Perowne) | |
| William Harrigan Jr. | .... | technical advisor (uncredited) | |
| Robert Haslam | .... | consultant: explosives (uncredited) | |
| Robert Haslam | .... | technical advisor (uncredited) | |
| Maurice Landsberger | .... | production accountant (uncredited) | |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
| Lawrence of Arabia | The Great Raid | Empire of the Sun | The Guns of Navarone | Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb top 250 movies | IMDb Adventure section |
| IMDb USA section | Add this title to MyMovies |
First off, what is so amazing about this film is that, for the time that it was made, how modern it looks. David Lean certainly had the eye of any modern director and managed to direct a visual masterpiece at a time when many films were still being shot in black and white.
William Holden gives one of his finest performances as a cynic of warfare , citing for us the insanity and absurdity that the combatants often convey. And he hates the war, but he cannot avoid been thrown back into it again and again. We wish he could stay on the beach with his nurse lover, but he is a man destined for a tragic doom for his country, whether he wants to or not.
Alec Guiness also delivers a fine performance as a bold general whose own pride is, at the same time, his most noble quality as well as his greatest fault. He is uncompromising, yet when the Japanese submit to his demands, he begins overseeing the construction of the bridge with great esteem. Eventually, for him, the bridge becomes a manifestation of his belief of the superiority of the British Army, which he follows like a religion. And in putting all his pride into this bridge, he loses sight of even the British's own true agenda. Truly, his sense of overwhelming honor is, at the same time, his downfall in a descent to a loss of morality, and a sense of good and evil.
And yes, by the end of this film, we learn a great lesson of the horrors of war. Not only does it take the lives of many good men, but the utter failure and despair that accompany it make it an unbearable existence. And this message has only recently been re-evaluated with the also-brilliant masterpiece "Saving Private Ryan." But, keep in mind that it took forty years to regain the power that this film inspired so long ago.