[Ronald Searle, To the Kwai and Back: War drawings 1939-45, London, Collins, 1986, 104] 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' is now the best-known site on the Burma-Thailand railway but its fame is due more to a fictional film than its significance in World War II. Instead of the five year predicted completion, the bridge on river Kwai, was completed in 16 months. [26], A memorable feature of the film is the tune that is whistled by the POWsthe first strain of the "Colonel Bogey March"when they enter the camp. Sam Spiegel bought the railroad train from the Ceylonese government. Lean and his production designer, Donald Ashton, were in Ceylon months ahead of time to construct the film's title character (the bridge, not the river). 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Like Chungkai and Kanchanaburi, Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery was originally part of the camp set up serving the Burma-Siams construction. After Guinness was done with the scene, Lean said, "Now you can all fuck off and go home, you English actors. Despite the discomfort the rest of the crew were experiencing, Lean was thrilled about the shoot and never complained about his living conditions. 8. [66] The original negative for the feature was scanned at 4k (four times the resolution in High Definition), and the colour correction and digital restoration were also completed at 4k. Put on your marching boots and whistle a jaunty tune as we investigate some behind-the-scenes facts about this enduring war film. [14][15], The film was an international co-production between companies in Britain and the United States. The camp commander, Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa), informs the prisoners that they will all begin working on the building of a railway bridge the following day. Interested in advertising on the world's largest website dedicated to all things Britain? What is it that makes the film 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' such an The film "The Bridge on the River Kwai" dramatized the WWII story of the Thailand-Burma Railway, yet it was largely fictional. 21. ABC, sponsored by Ford, paid a record $1.8 million for the television rights for two screenings in the United States. The True Story of the Bridge over the River Kwai | CWGC Only in 1984 did the Academy rectify the situation by retroactively awarding the Oscar to Foreman and Wilson, posthumously in both cases. The deaths of the Asian workers and the prisoners were real events, but most of the book and the movie are not true. The story about this bridge has also been made into a Hollywood movie such as "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957), which is based on the novel of the same name and another movie . The movie is based on the novel Le Pont de la Riviere Kwai by Pierre Boulle. Bought 4 and 6 mm dowel wood for bridge piers. [56] Warren Buffett said it was his favorite movie. 15- "All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.". Part of this project was building bridges over Thailand's Kwai Yai, at a place named Tamarkan, which is near a town named Kanchanaburi. 16. He didn't like the next draft of the screenplay, either, because it made Nicholson "a blinkered character." The movie was mainly filmed in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and also in England. US Navy Commander Shears tells of the horrific conditions. Their taskmasters were relentless. 23. Allied bombers struck the wooden bridge and its concrete counterpart in February 1945 with one of the earliest uses of guided bombs in history. Sri Lanka Filming Locations: The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957) [3] The cast includes William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, and Sessue Hayakawa. Before the US began rolling up Japanese possessions throughout the Pacific, and the British really started gaining momentum in Burma, Japan had carved out a large empire. 25 March 1995. He was a huge star, drawing a weekly salary of $5000 in 1915 (adjusted for inflation: $119,000) and appearing in more than 60 films between 1914 and 1924. Some 5,000 Commonwealth World War Two casualties are buried or commemorated in Kanchanaburi. The filming of the bridge explosion was to be done on 10 March 1957, in the presence of S.W.R.D. Lean only got $150,000 himself, but he always said Holden was worth it. The finished screenplay had significant contributions from both Wilson and Foreman, though each went to his grave insisting he was the more important contributor. Tonight, enjoy dinner at a hotel restaurant Overnight: Kanchanaburi The bridge they build will become a symbol of service and survival to one prisoner, Colonel Nicholson, a proud perfectionist. The movie has been included on the American Film Institutes list of best American films ever made. He succumbed to malaria, dysentery, and malnutrition at Camp Kilo 101 in Thailand. In the meantime, Shears manages to escape. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The weather is good, not hot The train passes at 10 AM and the train returns at 4 PM. The elephants employed in helping build the bridge would take breaks every four hours and lie around the water, whether the crew wanted them to or not. He was contracted for $150,000 to be paid in installments. The classic story of English POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. It was released in the US on December 14, 1957, taking in a reported $17M+, which made it the highest-grossing film of 1957. Both bridges were used for two years, until they were destroyed by Allied bombing. Tracy had read the book and told Spiegel emphatically that the part must be played by an Englishman. [9], The film was relatively faithful to the novel, with two major exceptions. 28 Fun And Interesting Facts About The Bridge On The River Kwai Get information about our funding, our Customer Charter and our Strategic Plan. Its estimated around 16,000 Allied prisoners of war were killed during construction of the Burma-Siam Railway. This Week's Toybox is . As shown in the movie, Guinness played the scene without flinching. It would be a massive undertaking. Guinness, however, had his own reservations. After Saito cuts a ceremonial ribbon, Nicholson spots a detonator wire. The events depicted in the film, of a chaotic Commando raid and Lt. Col Nicholsons wounded body falling dramatically on the detonator and blowing the bridge up, are completely false. The film won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor (Guinness), not to mention a handful of Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and even a Grammy nomination for its soundtrack. The Bridge on the River Kwai - IGN "[57], Some Japanese viewers have disliked the film's depiction of the Japanese characters and the historical background presented as being inaccurate, particularly in the interactions between Saito and Nicholson. The Bridge on the River Kwai - Anzac Portal Starring Alec Guinness, it depicts the struggles and defiance of Japanese prisoners of war building the fictional Burma railway between 1943-44. He joined up in 1940 and served in the Middle East with the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion before transferring back to the Dutch East Indies in early 1942. The Burma-Siam Railways construction necessitated construction of over 670 bridges and numerous cuttings. "[52] Harrison's Reports described the film as an "excellent World War II adventure melodrama" in which the "production values are first-rate and so is the photography. Mitch Miller had a hit with a recording of both marches. The plot and characters of Boulle's novel and the screenplay were almost entirely fictional. Everywhere in the jungle, the graveyards made their appearance; starting in a small way they gradually grew bigger, until when the railway was completed at the end of the year, thousands of bodies lay in the jungle from one end to the other.. The Bridge over the River Kwai - Wikipedia While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. He also didn't like hearing that he was Lean's second choice for the role, a fact made more awkward when he arrived in Ceylon and Lean greeted him with, "Of course, you know I really wanted Charles Laughton." Concurrently, Shears, after a harrowing journey in which he nearly loses his life more than once, is rescued by the British and then required to lead a group of commandoes headed by Major Warden (Jack Hawkins) back to the POW camp that he escaped from in order to blow up the bridge. The bridge is still in everyday use as part of the Bangkok-Nam Tok line. The Mount Lavinia Hotel was used as a location for the hospital. 15. The Bridge On The River Kwai Trivia: Fun And Interesting Facts About The Bridge On The River Kwai: Fascinating Facts About The Bridge on the River Kwai - Kindle edition by Randolph, Amanda. Imperial Japanese Army Command deemed this unacceptable. (Lean denied ever wanting Laughton for the role, despite abundant documented evidence to the contrary.). Parts of the Burma-Siam railway still stand. [35], Lieutenant Colonel Philip Toosey of the British Army was the real senior Allied officer at the bridge in question. Kwai River Bridge history. 6. In January 1943, a base hospital was organised to care for sick and injured prisoners and labourers. Colonel Nicholson, arrive at a Japanese prison camp in Thailand. Geoffrey Horne saved his life. The Bridge on the River Kwai: Directed by David Lean. It stars Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa, Jack Hawkins and William Holden. The producer's press release, thoughwanting to emphasize that this was a Big Budget Hollywood Pictureclaimed the bridge had cost $250,000. 11. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. We hadn't much breath left for whistling. All Rights Reserved. The British soldiers were slaves; they did not help the Japanese. Bridge On The River Kwai is an Epic war-based film. Bangkok-Kanchanaburi, by train or private transport, for the Bridge on River Kwai; Kanchanaburi-Nam Tok, by train or private transport, for Death Railway and Hellfire Pass; You can book your bus tickets online and in advance here. They remain standing at attention throughout the day. Over 65,000 Allied P.O.W.s battled torture, starvation, and disease to hack the 255-mile railway out of harsh jungle for the Japanese. After the final scene was shot, producer Sam Spiegel shipped the movie footage on five different planes to minimize the risk of loss. The river is the Mae Klong River which passes through a valley of the Khwae Noi River (little tributary). Letters reveal British objections to plot of Bridge on the River Kwai Both writers had to work in secret, as they were on the Hollywood blacklist and had fled to England in order to continue working. The real Bridge on the River Kwai. A photo of Kitulgala, Sri Lanka in 2004, where the bridge was made for the film. But whats the real story? Bridge on the River Kwai - Thaizer The movie garnered seven Academy Awards, including that for best picture, as well as three Golden Globe Awards and four BAFTA awards. Lean feared Guinness' public persona had changed so much that audiences wouldn't buy him in this very dramatic role, but came around to the idea when the Laughton plan didn't work. . Bandaranaike, then Prime Minister of Ceylon, and a team of government dignitaries. He'd just been through a costly divorce from actress Ann Todd. She retired Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The separate dialogue, music and effects were located and remixed with newly recorded "atmospheric" sound effects. Wise: "I never heard it in Thailand. Its telling that the railway workers had to see to their own medical care. Bridge On The River Kwai, The (original Version) - Trailer - YouTube 13. [64] The image was restored by OCS, Freeze Frame, and Pixel Magic with George Hively editing. At all. Pride, Fatalism, and Human Connection in 'The Bridge on the River Kwai The adventure war film The Bridge on the River Kwai may have swept the board of awards and attracted acclaim as one best films of the 20th century, but the War Office was very nervous "it would . What's your favorite? The film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. Sri Lanka Filming Locations: The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957) Posted on July 17, 2017 by tokyofox. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) : ays - Internet Archive Guinness had appeared in Lean's Dickens films but had since made a name for himself doing goofy comedies like The Lavender Hill Mob (1951). Writers: Pierre Boulle (novel), Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson (screenplay), Academy Award nominations (* denotes win), https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Bridge-on-the-River-Kwai-film-by-Lean, Filmsite - The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), BFI Screenonline - The Bridge on the River Kwai, Turner Classic Movies - The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). Joyce, manning the detonator, breaks cover and stabs Saito to death. as soon as he signed, Lean borrowed $2,000 from Columbia Pictures to get his teeth fixed. Contact us, Image: Rows of graves at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Image: Kanchanaburi Dutch Memorial commemorates Dutch POWs who died building Death Railway, Image: Chungkai War Cemetery's Cross of Sacrifice, Image: The Pavilion at Chungkai War Cemetery, Image: The cemetery's horticulture gives Chungkai a sense of serenity, Image: The Stone of Remembrance at Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery, Image: Headstones and horticulture at Thanbyuzayat, Get the latest CWGC news and see some of our recent work, Report of the Special Committee to review historical inequalities in Commemoration, Discover world war casualties who lived in your area, The True Story of the Bridge over the River Kwai, Why and how were restoring the Menin Gate: What you need to know about this amazing project, A push through the desert: How The Allies Captured Jericho in 1918, Visit Commonwealth war graves in Arras, France.
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