Customer Reviews

The Bridge on the River Kwai [VHS]

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I'm still not entirely sure why Amazon lumps the reviews for all versions of a given release in the same category. It makes it especially hard to locate reviews on the blu ray version. Anyway, this is a review of the blu ray version recently released, in a collector's format. It is composed of basically a digibook within a hard external case, which is quite flashy as it has raised illustrations and looks quite nice. Upon removing the digibook (which is quite a bit thicker than others), you will find a blu ray version of the film, a dvd version, and a few other things.

First up is the small production book. Actually in comparison with the material you get from other digibooks (which are usually scant on information), these few pages are full of notes and events during filming, almost a quick documentary in itself. It's nice to see a version of this book-within-case that is heavy on words and light on pictures, which are still nice on a few pages.

Second are the replica lobby cards, located after the incorporated book. Not much to say about these, a nice addition for collectors but not much else.

Finally the movie itself. As far as picture goes, its unbeatable for a film from 1957. Much like the other big releases around this time period, care was indeed taken to release a near perfect picture. Obviously in full 1080p, the lighting and scenery really shine here. I'm no expert on filmography and never really looked into the film types and ratios, but what I can judge is a quality blu ray transfer. The picture is sheer excellence down to the last scene, and is quite reminscent of the older James Bond transfers which were fantastic. All in all, as good picture as you'll see anywhere else in blu ray. The audio is great as well, with a fantastic 5.1 transfer. I have 5.1 sound, and it I can tell you it was transferred with the utmost of care. There is no mono soundtrack included in this version.

Extras include a wealth of features, including the previous releases' documentaries and new unreleased features such as Alec and William on the Steve Aleen show. Also included is a narration of the premiere by Holding. The main thing here is the "beyond the bridge" section, in which the full film plays and when applicable scenes come up, the screen size is reduced and graphics will appear on the screen with the movie, along with factoids about the scene. It is a great feature for those who won't mind the screen reducing every now and then.

All in all, this is the definitive version of the film. Chock full with features that you'd expect from a collector's release as well as the film itself (ranking among my all time favorite films), you can't go wrong with this. If you own a previous version, strongly consider this. If you've never owned it or seen it, buy it TODAY.

David Lean's "Bridge on the River Kwai" is one of my favorite movies of all time, and one one the greatest war movies of all time, but a differnt war movie. Can the civilized Colonel Nichoson (brilliantly played by Alec Guinness and won him an Academy Award for best actor) defy the brutal Japanese Colonel Saito(Sessue Hayakawa, also brilliant)and win the war of wills? At first we think he won't but the plot takes a strange turn and this Nicholson turns out to be as fanatic as Saito is in the prison camp. Beautifully shot in Ceylon(Sri Lanka) serving well for Burma by Freddie Young, Lean's great photographer also for "Lawrence of Arabia" the viewer can feel the heat and humidity, see the starving appearance of the prisoners, who start buiding the bridge as a lark until Nicholson wins his points of honor and they work harder than ever. My favorite line in the movie is one of Colonel Saito's favorite sayings: "Be happy in your work," which takes on more and more irony as the film and story unfolds. There is a side plot, with William Holden barely escaping, only to be brought back back with hard-core commandoes(led by demolitions expert Jack Hawkins) to the camp to blow up the bridge. This is a wonderful psychological and subtle war film, with just enough adventure and action to balance its war of words, over the Geneva Covention(Nicholson keeps a copy of it in his pocket and then is slapped with it by Saito)over points of British stiff upper lip and Japanese warrior code,Bushido, two vastly different viewpoints but in the end breed fanatics. The acting, editing, writing,and photography are all flawless. This is one of the few war movies made forty ago that still rank with any today. A true masterpiece, much imitated. Lean is a director of place and attends to all the small details, from the ratty prisoner uniforms,a Japanese sentry standing guard in the heavy rainfall, and the haunting whistling of the entire ragged British company, marching tired and disease-infested into a new camp just after Holden has been digging graves. And the camp doctor, well-played by James Donald, saying "Madness! Madness! after watching the bridge being blown while a train crosses over. A true classic of any genre. The restored version is excellent and again , since I saw this movie on a large screen, see it if you can at the theater, even if you own this video. It is that good.

The release of David Lean's powerful, intelligent and thought provoking anti-war masterpiece on widescreen DVD accompanied by the added bonus documentary "The Making of the Bridge on the River Kwai", along with other featurette's, theatrical trailers and an appreciation of the film by noted director, John Milius, is indeed a cause for celebration amongst cinema afficiando's of this most superb of motion pictures.

The remarkable novel by Pierre Boulle (also author of "Monkey Planet"...filmed as the memorable "Planet of the Apes") is masterfully brought to the screen by director David Lean, a true genius behind many historical epics.

Deep inside snake ridden Asian jungles, British and American prisoners of war toil under the sweltering tropical sun working on part of the infamous Burma railway that claimed thousands of Allied lives during WWII. Colonel Saito (talented Japanese actor Sessue Hayakawa) presides over his POW camp with an iron rule...driving his Japanese troops as hard as his malnourished prisoners. Enter the honorable and steadfast English POW, Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guiness in an Oscar winning performance) refusing to capitulate to Saito's demands that British officers perform manual labour alongside enlisted men. Each man's blind adherance to their own personal code of honor sees the two men plunge into a psychological war of will, bravado and courage...each determined not to waver from their personal beliefs.

As these two leaders clash with each other, American prisoner of war and resident camp gravedigger, Shears (William Holden) effects on escape from the brutal prison camp and after nearing death, he makes his way back to the Allied forces. Unfortunately for the timid Shears, he is coerced to guide a suicidal commando mission with Major Warden (Jack Hawkins) and Lieutenant Joyce (Geoffrey Horne) to return to the enemy infested jungles and blow up the railway bridge being built by Nicholson and the British prisoners of war.

Each differing path taken by Nicholson, Saito & Shears eventually intertwines and ultimately sees the three men confront their own inner fears and beliefs with tragic circumstances....

Seven Oscars bear testament to the wonderful attributes of this movie....including Best Picture and Best Actor...plus "Kwai" is regularly listed by critics as one of the most influential and highly regarded movies of the 20th century. For some additional in-depth behind the scenes reading on "The Bridge on the River Kwai" check out the insightful William Holden biograpy entitled "Golden Boy". Excellent reading !!

Quite simply an absolute "must have" addition to any DVD collection, "The Bridge on the River Kwai" remains a benchmark in inspirational movie making....I cannot recommend this film highly enough !!

This review refers to Columbia/Tri Star 2000 release DVD of "The Bridge on the River Kwai"....

I am still whistling that wonderful theme song from this film(I watched it 2 days ago),"Colonel Bogey March". From the moment the British soldiers march into the Japaneese P.O.W. camp, whistling that tune I was once again hooked on this fabulous World War II movie!

The story, based on the novel by Pierre Boulle, is loosely based on actual events that occured during the war.The very proper Colonel Nicholson(Alec Guinness) leads his captured,but proud and tattered British troops into the Japaneese P.O.W. camp they have been assigned to.It is there that he comes face to face with the commander of the camp, the equally proper Colonel Saito(Sessue Hayakawa).Saito and Nicholson are immediatly at odds, concerning the assignment of the British, to build a railway bridge for their enemies over the River Kwai.Both men are highly principled in their beliefs, stubborn in their ways and will not give in where their honor is concerned.Saito seems to have the upper hand, using cruel and unusual punishment to try to persuade Nicholson, but to no avial. The bridge must be built and eventually they come to a compromise.Nicholson sets his men to the task in an almost obssessive way and takes great pride in the job his men are doing.

Meanwhile......an escapee from the camp, American sailor Shears(William Holden),whose only ambition is to get home, has now "volunteered" to lead a task force, including the over zealous British commander Major Warden(Jack Hawkins),back to the camp so they can blow up the bridge.And of course you know with Holden leading the team there will also be some romance mixed in with the action!

It's a great adventure from start to finish. Directed by David Lean with perfection, filmed in the breathtaking locales of Ceylon, with an engaging script by Michael Wilson and Carl Foreman, you'll fall in love with this epic film.It recieved the Best Picture(1957) Award from Oscar and also garnered a Best Director for Lean, and Best Actor for Guinness, as well as Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, and Music Scoring!

You will not miss one detail of the jungles in this beautifully remastered DVD. The colors are sharp and vibrant. It is presented in the original theatrical widescreen(anamorphic), aspect ratio 2.55:1, and every bit of scenery right to the edges is outstanding. The choices on the sound are 5.1 Dol Dig or 2.0 surround. The dialouge is crisp and clear, as is the musical score. The surrounding sounds are not quite as clear but is still good. It may be viewed in several languages or with subtitles as well. There is not too much on the special features on this edition(see tech info), however there is a "Limited Edition" for not much more than this one with a ton of extras(if only I'd known when I bought this one...),that is also by Columbia so I would guess the picture and sound are excellent as well.

One of the best war movies ever made..go for it..Laurie

Richly deserving its 1957 "Best Picture" Academy Award, "The Bridge On The River Kwai" is truly one of the best motion pictures I have ever seen (and I had never seen it even once until just a few days before writing this review).

Directed expertly by David Lean and produced by Sam Spiegel, "The Bridge On The River Kwai" never falters. From the very first well-composed "CinemaScope" frame, right through to its exciting climax, everything about this motion picture is spot-on perfect.

The film tells the World War 2 story of a group of British P.O.W.s who are handed the assignment of constructing a railway bridge across the Kwai river, deep within an Asian jungle in the hot and steamy summer of 1943.

Each actor in this movie shines brightly in his respective part -- beginning with Alec Guinness' absolutely wonderful award-winning portrayal of "Colonel Nicholson", who undergoes more than his fair share of torture and abuse at the hands of the Japanese "Colonel Saito" (played by Sessue Hayakawa). Guinness' Nicholson is a man guided by an immovable set of rigged principles. And he ends up winning his battle of nerves (and torture) against his Japanese enemy. A truly remarkable performance by Mr. Guinness. It's no wonder he was nominated for the "Best Actor" Oscar for his role in this film. And, rightfully so, he won the award as well.

The great William Holden (age 38 here) earned a healthy 1-million-dollar salary for his part as "Shears" in the movie (plus he got a portion of the film's box-office receipts too). And he earned every cent, as far as I'm concerned. While his part is not quite as deeply-layered or extensive as Alec Guinness' in the picture, Holden's character is still a vital and integral part of the film, as he plays a soldier who sets out on a mission to destroy the River Kwai bridge.

Jack Hawkins rounds out the main cast, as "Major Warden", the hard-nosed leader of the Allied Commando team assigned to blow up the just-finished Kwai railway bridge.

An interesting thing hit me a day after I finished watching this movie for the first time -- I found myself re-living portions of the film over again in my head, and (of course) found myself whistling the unforgettably-sensational "River Kwai March" theme tune (aka "Colonel Bogey March"), which is something that's likely to stay with you for quite a long time. (The DVD Menus make sure you won't forget the melody either.)

Plus, the day after I saw it, I also found myself already beginning to appreciate the "timelessness" and award-winning flavor and grandeur of this epic-scale motion picture. And I even felt a strong desire to watch the whole 162-minute film all over again the very next day. When a movie can have that much impact on a viewer, what better compliment can there be to emphasize its greatness?

Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment released the 2-Disc edition of "The Bridge On The River Kwai" on November 21, 2000, and it's a great-looking DVD in all respects, in my opinion. Sporting a beautiful and colorful Anamorphic Widescreen print of the film, Disc One of this two-disc set contains the full-length film in its original CinemaScope aspect ratio of approximately 2.55:1. The lush quality of the photography shines through brilliantly here via this nice, crisp-looking Widescreen version. I'd hate to think of having to watch this movie in a hacked-to-pieces Pan-&-Scan Full-Screen version. Luckily, such torture is not required here, because the original Widescreen format is available on this DVD.

There are multiple Dolby Digital soundtracks to choose from for the movie -- a 5.1 Surround track plus a 2.0 Surround option as well. Both of these tracks sound very good to me. Lots of subtitling options are available as well, plus an "Isolated Music Score" soundtrack too.

Several fulfilling bonus features take up residence on Disc #2, including a nicely-done 53-minute Making-Of documentary, as well as an original 1950s-era vintage behind-the-cameras featurette ("The Rise And Fall Of A Jungle Giant"), which has a satisfying old-time "nostalgic" feel to it.

While I very much enjoyed the "Jungle Giant" mini-featurette (which lasts for a little more than 6 minutes) for its unique behind-the-scenes type of footage -- I couldn't help but scratch my head in bewilderment when the final portion of the program seemingly is cut off abruptly without explanation. The narration and video build the viewer's suspense, taking us right up to the brink of the dramatic one-take-only scene of the bridge being blown to bits, then there's a splice in the film just prior to seeing any behind-the-scenes stuff of the actual detonation, with the film then trailing off into its closing few seconds (an "epilogue" of sorts). Very odd I thought. Makes me wonder if that bridge-blowing sequence was somehow lost and not able to be recovered for some reason.

Additional DVD Extras --- A "USC Short Film" (with an introduction by William Holden), which runs for just under 16 minutes. This is a kind of a "lesson" in filmmaking techniques, with "The Bridge On The River Kwai" used as an example of what goes into feature filmmaking. Lots of behind-the-scenes footage on the sets of "Kwai" is included here.

Another featurette on Disc 2 is "An Appreciation By Filmmaker John Milius". This is an 8-minute "appreciation" of "The Bridge On The River Kwai" by Mr. Milius, as he provides his personal thoughts on the film and its impact on him. Needless to say, he loves the movie. And his comments here are quite interesting too.

There are also four Theatrical Trailers included as DVD bonus material (including one for "River Kwai"). Plus -- A 7-minute "Photo Montage" (on a musically-scored timed track, with "Pause" capability enabled). The "montage" was a slight disappointment to this writer, simply because it only includes photos of poster art and advertising materials for the film. No "publicity stills" are included at all. Which is kind of odd because a few such items are seen within the Making-Of documentary. Still, the filmed montage is done very nicely, with appropriate underscoring to add atmosphere.

Rounding out this healthy batch of DVD supplements is a "Talent Files" section, featuring brief text-only bios on five members of the "Kwai" cast and crew.

Also included as part of the 2-Disc "Limited Edition" DVD package is a collectible 12-page booklet, which is a replica (reprint) of the original 1957 souvenir book. The last page of the booklet is a DVD Scene Selection guide for the film's 40 chapters.

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"The Bridge On The River Kwai" took more than a full year to film and edit, finally making its debut in movie theaters on December 18, 1957. But that year spent in the Asian jungle was definitely worth it. Because what resulted from that strenuous year of sweat and gritty filmmaking was a true cinematic masterwork.

So, take this DVD for a spin soon .... and then watch yourself replaying much of the movie in your head the next day. For this is a DVD to treasure; and a movie to remember. For all time.

If someone had the inclination, "Bridge on the River Kwai" could have been divided into two very respectable movies. The first, concerning a group of British prisoners of war charged with erecting the title piece, would have been a neat little psychological drama and character study starring Alec Guinness and Sessue Hayakawa. The second, an action-adventure thriller, would follow William Holden, accompanied by Jack Hawkins, as they braved the harsh Asian jungle in a plot to blow up said title piece. Each movie, as I see them in my own head, would have their fair share of suspense, action, snappy dialogue, intriguing characters, and powerful narrative thrust. Each would have been a critical success, a popular smash, and an enduring classic. However, they are not two movies. They are one cohesive whole. And here the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

David Lean skillfully weaves these the two narrative threads together. Even with a 160 minute running time, Lean never wastes a moment. Everything leads to something else, and it is always entertaining. Lean is that rare director who has a firm handle on both the visual and narrative elements of his films. He reigns both in here with considerable skill, only showing what the audience needs to see, and what he wants them to see.

As in most war movies, madness is a theme that runs rampant. Each of the main characters has dipped into some sort of madness, which manifests itself in four unique and intriguing ways.

Guinness is Col. Nicholson, a by the book British officer. He carries around a copy of the Geneva Convention, and expects his Japanese captors, isolated for many months in the jungle, to adhere to them. Guinness' greatest work here is in portraying Nicholson's stubbornness in the face of grave danger, and his pride in a job well done. It could have been a showy role in the hands of a lesser actor, as there is a temptation to externalize Nicholson's crumble from sanity. Guinness is subtle beyond the call of duty (even in his physical portrayal; one moment has him, after a long stint imprisoned in an oven-like box, paraded in front of his men. Catch Nicholson trying to march with military precision on legs terrorized by atrophy. It is a heartbreaking, and heroic, moment).

Colonel Saito, played by Hayakawa, is a man caught in a most unenviable position. In the beginning, he appears to be holding all the cards. But as we soon see, he is as much a pawn as the prisoners he's captured, indebted as much to his superiors as to his honour of duty. The problem with the character of Colonel Saito, and really the only hole in the whole film, is that he is supposed to be a menacing character. But we never see him be menacing; we have to rely on the word of Commander Shears. A scene of him killing in cold blood would have gone a long way later on, when his transition to Guinness' subordinate would have been even more powerful.

Major Warden, played by Hawkins, comes late to the story, but has much to say about how the second half will play out. He too is controlled by a sense of British duty, but his madness exhibits itself in a less controlled way. Warden, who's spent most of his time playing war games in a tropical paradise of a base, expects his mission to be a walk in the park. The horrors he encounters (both physical and psychological) are unexpected and hit him much harder than the others. Hawkins, as both the English gentleman and the tormented soldier, does a fine job.

Holden plays probably the most intriguing character. His Commander Shears has lived with his madness the longest, and has developed an ironic anti-hero callus to shield himself from the horrors. We first see him digging graves for his fallen comrades, of which he is the last to survive. From there, his situation gets much worse. Shears adopts a mocking tone when confronting his superiors, parakeeting their catch phrases ("When you're done, there's always one more thing to do"; "Be happy in your work") to the point of ridiculing them. And even when he manages to escape the physical prison, he manages to get drawn back there against his will.

The prevailing madness of the film comes to a head in the end as Major Clipton, the camp's doctor and arguably the only character not afflicted by insanity up to this point (and probably my favourite character), has a Conrad-like epiphany. It's a moment that rivals Kurtz' "The horror! The horror!" from "Heart of Darkness" and "Kwai's" war-movie progeny "Apocalypse Now".

Even though many of its themes are psychological, it's no surprise why "Kwai" became both a popular and critical success. It has all the elements of a grand classic: an all-star cast, tight suspense, lush scenery, humour, drama, finely drawn characters, intense action, and well-scripted dialogue. And of course, there's the great whistling scene; nothing better than a bright melody to cut through the horrors of war. It's a charming little scene that both brings a smile to your face and warns of tough times ahead.

There really aren't enough superlatives to describe the beauty, power and human drama in this film. The restoration is magnificent, the photography beautiful and the story compelling. Sessue Hayakawa gives a masterful performance as Colonel Saito; easily the most complex portrayal of any Japanese person in WWII movie history. He is completely unable to understand the British sense of honor, since being taken prisoner in the Japanese mindset is the ultimate dishonor. Yet he is also unable to deny that he and his own officers are simply not competent enough to tackle the task at hand, namely to build a railway bridge across the River Kwai -- and do so under a non-negotiable deadline. To fail this task would cause his own public dishonor, yet to yield to the contest of wills with Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness), whom he desperately needs to build the bridge, would cause him to suffer a loss of face and deep personal dishonor -- a Hobson's choice. Alec Guinness is simply brilliant in his role -- and simply British. On one level he is the quintessential British colonial master, out to "teach these people a lesson...that will put them to shame". His pride allows him to convince himself that building the bridge is nothing more than a morale booster for his men -- never mind that it furthers the Japanese war effort. He reasons that since he was ordered to surrender that to then refuse to do his captor's bidding might be considered tantamount to insubordination. But beyond doing what is merely necessary, he becomes obsessed with building a bridge that will last hundreds of years. In reality he is constructing a monument to himself, since he is now in the twilight of his military career. William Holden gives a wonderful performance as Shears, the only American to witness this contest of wills. He is much more interested in living "like a human being" and avoiding any military duty than dying for such a twisted sense of "honor". However, though, circumstances dictate that he become the proverbial reluctant hero. There are so many other outstanding touches and performances in this film that to describe them all would take more time than it would to simply watch it. In this case, one picture is truly worth a thousand words. See this movie.

Rated #11 on AFI's (American Film Institutes) 1998 top 100 movies of the last 100 years. This 1957 DVD Limited Edition (7 Oscar Winner including the BIG 3; Best Picture, Director - David Lean and Actor - Alec Guinness) World War II Japanese Prisoner Of War camp Classic remains one of the best psycological war movies made. (1953's "Stalag 17" a WWII German POW camp is the other. Ironically William Holden won a Best Actor Oscar).

The story is about 3 main fanatical characters; First is Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa) the Japanese prison camp commander. Second is Colonel Nicolson (Alec Guinness) the English commander of the POW's (introduced by the now famous whistling tune, "Colonel Bogey's March"). Third is an English (demolition expert) Commando Major (Jack Hawkins) guided by an escape POW (William Holden) a reluctant, coerced sailor who's kismet is chosen for him. These 3 Soldiers and 1 Sailor have impossible missions to accomplish with all their fates focused at one common place at one specific time.

The 2 Stories are; One build "The Bridge on the River Kwai" in a very compressed time line. The Second is to destroy this same bridge. The stories have many twists and turns while the finale is surprisingly abrupt after a long complex journey.

This 1957 wide screen classic is beautifully restored and plays very well even without all the special digital effects of today. The realism is so vivid. Seen phyically on the POW's and soldiers bodies and faces. The Dolby 5.1 puts you in the thick of the jungle with an eerie feeling. A frighteningly close environment, dense, with very little visibility but the sound is 360 degrees. Only these sounds to cue your imagination and senses.

As always with a DVD 2 pack there is an abundance of background information about the movie. A nice collectors package.

No one was a more masterful film maker than was David Lean, the British director who brought us such unforgettable classics as "Lawrence of Arabia", "Doctor Zhivago", "Ryan's Daughter" and, of course, "Bridge Over the River Kwai", (see my reviews of all these films). The cinematography in all of Lean's films is always spectacular and breathtaking, for Lean had a special appreciation for how the nature of one's natural surroundings set the stage and influenced the dramatic proceedings. Lean characteristically focused his films on the ways in which individuals and their personal characteristics clash and meld with the larger social, cultural, and historical surround in which they are located, and so each film is a uniquely captivating study of the specific dynamics of each particular individual situation.

Each of these films is also a well-choreographed and photographed excursion into the topography, climate, and landscape of the geographic location in which the drama unfolds. The eyes and ears are always delighted by what Lean displays. In "Bridge Over The River Kwai", the first of these spectacular films to be produced by Lean, the wildness and danger of the surrounding jungle is used as an active metaphor by Lean which he uses to bind the British prisoners into a life and death struggle with the despotic camp commander, whose feudal philosophy leads him to view the prisoners as shameful cowards who do not deserve to be treated like human beings. Their curiously naïve and self-important commanding officer, played brilliantly by Sir Alec Guiness, immediately becomes embroiled in a power struggle with the Japanese commander that sets the plot churning into overdrive, speeding the story along toward further confrontations and a number of interesting plot twist.

Also excellent as a cynical American sailor landlocked in the camp is William Holden, who plays the part with such blithe and careless detachment it is hard to appreciate how good he is, unless you are familiar with his performance in other films such as "The Bridges At Toko-Ri" or "Network". The supporting cast is excellent, and the script, written by the novelist who penned the original book, is taut, lean, and full of memorable dialogue and terrific dramatics. The action unfolds as part of the larger context of the war itself, which provides the necessary impetus to explain the desperate, cruel, and courageous behavior of the characters. The cinematography here is absolutely breath-taking, and the many spectacular action sequences and memorable musical score all contribute to make this one of the most popular and memorable films of all time. By the way, the film has aged very well, and as a piece of history and as a piece of popular entertainment it is always a pleasure to view as one of the outstanding films of the 1950s.

David Lean masterfully recreates Pierre Boulle's classic novelset in the Burmese jungle of World War II. The movie provides one ofthe great character studies ever captured on film. Two men, Colonel Saito played by Sessue Hayakawa, and Colonel Nicholson played by Alec Guinness, clash in an epic struggle of duty, honor, and will. Saito, a brutal, driven and reclusive prison camp commander stands in stark contrast to the equally driven but erudite and charismatic Nicholson. Upon arriving at the camp, Nicholson demands humane treatment for his troops in accordance with the conventions of war. Saito strikes the British Colonel and confines him in a small, sweltering tin box in an effort to break his will. As the days pass, the tension in the camp builds as the British soldiers, in forced labor, sabotage their Japanese captor's efforts to construct a railway bridge over the River Kwai. Saito, humbled and desperate, finally summons the emaciated Nicholson to meet in a gripping scene over dinner. The men ultimately reach a compromise to build the bridge, a compromise that sows the seeds for their eventual destruction. Hayakawa and Guinness, through sheer force of talent, depict the sense of honor and agony that consumes each of their characters.

The musical score, cinematography, and direction only accentuate the dramatic force of this movie. If you have never seen the film, I envy your first experience. If you have, then you know the satisfaction you derive from watching it again and again...