The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) *****

The Bridge on the River Kwai is a war movie without a war, but it still has a conflict between two or even three sides that makes for a great film that almost borders on cat and mouse. The film opens on a P.O.W. camp commanded by Captain Saito (Sessue Hayakawa) who has been ordered to build the bridge from the title by fresh prison labor in the former of a British squad led by Col. Nicholson (Alec Guinness). Nicholson is strictly by the book which endears him to his troops but agitates the lone American prisoner Major Shears (William Holden) and Saito himself. After a battle of wills between Saito and Nicholson the bridge which was supposed to be the Japanese commanders grand project slowly slips into the hands of Col. Nicholson who proves he can do it better and faster and becomes obsessed with the project almost to the point of what could be considered treason.

The acting in BOtRK is one of the shining points with Guinness capturing the best acting Oscar in 1957. He becomes the obsessed colonel who wants the bridge to stand as a monument of his own leadership abilities. Hayakawa's Saito is the exact opposite. He represents the reluctant soldier who actually wanted to be a musician. He wants to be a success but can't keep control of the project, dishonoring him. Hayakawa's performance is just as powerful as Guinness'.

This is a David Lean film, but it's a small intimate David Lean film meaning that in the normal world this would be a huge production but for David Lean it's just a baby. Since it's a Lean picture there are some great visuals and a storytelling style that pulls you into the film.

So when I said that Bridge on the River Kwai is a war film without a war with a war I meant that these men are sitting out the war on the outside of the jungle, yet there is an ego vs. ego war going on in that small prison camp in the jungle.