The Bridge On The River Kwai

The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 British World War II film by David Lean based on The Bridge over the River Kwai by French writer Pierre Boulle. The film is a work of fiction but borrows the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942–43 for its historical setting. It stars William Holden, Jack Hawkins, Alec Guinness and Sessue Hayakawa. The film was filmed in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). The bridge in the film was located near Kitulgala.

The film achieved near universal critical acclaim, winning seven Academy Awards (including Best Picture) at the 30th Academy Awards, and in 1997, this film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected for preservation in the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time.

Read more about The Bridge On The River Kwai:  Plot, Cast, Historical Parallels, Box Office Performance, First Telecast, Restorations, In Popular Culture

Famous quotes containing the words bridge and/or river:

    “A circle swoop, and a quick parabola under the bridge arches
    Where light pushes through;
    A sudden turning upon itself of a thing in the air.
    A dip to the water.”
    —D.H. (David Herbert)

    “The first man to discover Chinook salmon in the Columbia, caught 264 in a day and carried them across the river by walking on the backs of other fish. His greatest feat, however, was learning the Chinook jargon in 15 minutes from listening to salmon talk.”
    —State of Oregon, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)