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Poster for The Bridge on the River Kwai

The Bridge on the River Kwai

It spans a whole new world of entertainment!

1957 · 2h 41m · PG Drama, History, War
Directed by David Lean

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Overview

The classic story of English POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. British and American intelligence officers conspire to blow up the structure, but Col. Nicholson, the commander who supervised the bridge's construction, has acquired a sense of pride in his creation and tries to foil their plans.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
96%
Tomatometer
Rotten

Has no one else found it highly peculiar that damn near everybody's choice for the best movie of (let's say) the decade should be dedicated, inferentially but absolutely, to the proposition that Courage is Madness and Cowardice is Best?

Jerry Tallmer, Village Voice
Fresh

Part of the success of The Bridge is that its courageous hero is shown from all angles, in all kinds of mirrors. He is strong, stubborn, fallible, maniacal, silly, and wise; and in the end he is pathetic, noble, and foolish.

Philip Roth, The New Republic
Fresh

From sky to ground in two shots, and it already feels like we've traversed a great distance, with two and a half hours of skillful, suspenseful WWII adventure to go.

Keith Uhlich, Time Out New York
Fresh

A gripping drama, expertly put together and handled with skill in all departments.

Mike Kaplan, Variety
Rotten

For what it is, it ain't bad, though it serves mainly as an illustration of the ancient quandary of revisionist moviemakers: if all you do is systematically invert cliches, you simply end up creating new ones.

Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

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