[18] The bridge in the film was near Kitulgala. Two bridges were built, the first made of wood. On 16 October 1943, the two ends of the Burma-Thailand railway were joined at Konkoita in Thailand. They are joined by approximately 1,850 Dutch casualties and one non-war grave. Wise: "I never heard it in Thailand. Civilian workmen suffered terribly too, with their casualties far outstripping the military personnel. The movie is based on the novel Le Pont de la Riviere Kwai by Pierre Boulle. Young: "Donald, did anyone whistle Colonel Bogey as they did in the film?" They built a railway to link Bangkok to Rangoon. As a result, Boulle, who did not speak English, was credited and received the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay; many years later, Foreman and Wilson posthumously received the Academy Award.[4]. - Colonel Saito, 'The Bridge on the River Kwai '. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 epic war film directed by David Lean and based on the 1952 novel written by Pierre Boulle. David Lean himself also claimed that producer Sam Spiegel cheated him out of his rightful part in the credits since he had had a major hand in the script. In reality, Risaburo Saito was respected by his prisoners for being comparatively merciful and fair towards them. comment. 18. Then he hired Lean to directand Lean didn't like Foreman's version. For all the death and misery caused by its building, the Burma-Siam Railway only ever carried two Japanese divisions and 500,000 tons of supplies before VJ Day brought the war in Asia to a close. Allied bombers struck the wooden bridge and its concrete counterpart in February 1945 with one of the earliest uses of guided bombs in history. 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. In the film, Lt. Col Nicholson is seen collaborating with his captors, even under duress. 25. Read our Cookie Policy, Terms & Conditions and Data Protection & Privacy Policy. Express 08:30, 10:30. Ernest Gordon, a survivor of the railway construction and POW camps described in the novel/film, stated in his 1962 book, Through the Valley of the Kwai: In Pierre Boulle's book The Bridge over the River Kwai and the film which was based on it, the impression was given that British officers not only took part in building the bridge willingly, but finished in record time to demonstrate to the enemy their superior efficiency. Full scale plan drawing for the main cantilever bridge design. The bridge depicted in the film is most definitely real. Construction of the Burma-Siam railway began in October 1942 and would end in October 1943. As Australian Brigadier Arthur Varley put it: The Japanese will carry out their schedule and do not mind if the line is dotted with crosses.. Budget. The trials of Australian Army Lieutenant George Hamilton Lamb reflected the mens awful experience building the Burma-Siam Death Railway. c. 1945. By daybreak, however, the river level has dropped, exposing the wire connecting the explosives to the detonator. 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. Laughton would die (of cancer) five years later, at the age of 63. Assistant director John Kerrison was killed in a car crash on the way to one of the locations. 6 Interesting And Awesome Facts About Dondokomon From Digimon, 20 Amazing And Fun Facts About San Bernardino, California, United States, 26 Fun And Fascinating Facts About The Gods Of Egypt Movie, 15 Interesting And Fun Facts About Napa, California, United States, 20 Interesting And Amazing Facts About National City, California, United States, 15 Interesting And Fascinating Facts About Needles, California, United States, 15 Interesting And Amazing Facts About Nevada City, California, United States, 15 Amazing And Interesting Facts About Newark, California, United States. ", The screenwriters, Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson, were on the Hollywood blacklist and, even though living in exile in England, could only work on the film in secret. Both bridges were used for two years, until they were destroyed by Allied bombing. Kanburi wasnt a work camp as such. A train carrying important dignitaries and soldiers is scheduled to be the first to cross the bridge the following day, and Warden wants to destroy both. 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. They remain standing at attention throughout the day. Take a look below for 28 more fun and interesting facts about The Bridge on the . The Bridge on the River Kwai is a work of fiction, but borrows the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942 to 1943 for its historical setting. The region was seized by the Japanese in 1942, and they then set about making preparations . It was not long before the Japanese army overrunning Java captured Lieutenant Lamb and his men. What's your favorite? It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, wining seven -- including Best Picture . This Oscar-winning epic is part of movie folklore and widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever so I really wanted to see the area where director David Lean shot it way back in 1957. The Bridge Over the River Kwai won seven Academy Awards (including Best Picture) in 1958. The Bridge on the River Kwai Facts for Kids. [13], Many directors were considered for the project, among them John Ford, William Wyler, Howard Hawks, Fred Zinnemann, and Orson Welles (who was also offered a starring role). Thank God that I'm starting work tomorrow with an American actor (William Holden). Read the response of the CWGC to the findings of the Special Committee. This article is part of our Classic Film Throwback series - By Sam Hendrian - "Madness. Sessue Hayakawa (1889-1973) was a Japanese-born actor who came to Hollywood in the very early days of cinemahis first short, The Typhoon, was made in 1914and quickly became a matinee idol, playing exotic villains and such. You carry it in your pack like the plague. 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. Madness! In fact, two bridges were built: a temporary wooden bridge and a permanent steel/concrete bridge a few months later. A photo of Kitulgala, Sri Lanka in 2004, where the bridge was made for the film. Warden tells the Siamese women that he had to prevent anyone from falling into enemy hands, and leaves with them. While the story is fiction, the broader setting--including the construction of the Burmese railway--is based on historical events. The action of the movie takes place in a Japanese prisoner-of-war (POW) camp in . Imperial Japanese Army Command deemed this unacceptable. Kanchanaburi is served by a rail service from Bangkok Noi . [10], Although Lean later denied it, Charles Laughton was his first choice for the role of Nicholson. It had previously belonged to an Indian maharajah and had seen 65 years of active service. The building of Bridge 277, the eponymous bridge that gave Leans film its name, was overseen by 2,000 British and Dutch prisoners of war. As it opens, two POWs, the American navy commander Shears (William Holden) and an Australian, are digging graves for their companions. Sessue Hayakawa edited his copy of the script to contain only his lines of dialog. Omissions? Its construction came about because Japan needed another supply route to link Singapore and Malaysia to its possessions in Burma following Singapores fall in February 1942. A small tourist train offers rides across the bridges span, while pedestrians can also travel over it on foot. Boulle nonetheless enjoyed the film version though he disagreed with its climax. 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 . (Spiegel got a British military adviser to help with that side of things, too.). But in Bangkok I was told that David Lean, the film's director, became mad at the extras who played the prisonersusbecause they couldn't march in time. Drilled holes for the piers; and cut them to length. A Cholera epidemic swept through Nieke Camp between May-June 1943. Only in 1984 did the Academy rectify the situation by retroactively awarding the Oscar to Foreman and Wilson, posthumously in both cases. And a bloke called George Siegatz[29] an expert whistlerbegan to whistle Colonel Bogey, and a hit was born.". The bridge cost $250,000 to build. [22], Lean nearly drowned when he was swept away by the river current during a break from filming.[23]. [40], The Bridge on the River Kwai was a massive commercial success. Cafes and tourist spots dot the banks of the Khwae Noi. Its estimated around 16,000 Allied prisoners of war were killed during construction of the Burma-Siam Railway. He is commemorated on the Labuan Memorial, Malaysia. In the setting of World War II, a defeated unit British Soldiers is marched into a Japanese prison camp in western Thailand, with the purpose of constructing a bridge over the River Kwai to carry a new railway line to invade Burma. Just a stone's throw from the Menin Gate, visit our Information Centre to learn more about the CWGC. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 12. 16- "You make me sick with your heroics! 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." 's working to build and/or destroy a bridge for the Japanese during World War II. After the final scene was shot, producer Sam Spiegel shipped the movie footage on five different planes to minimize the risk of loss. [49] Mike Kaplan, reviewing for Variety, described it as "a gripping drama, expertly put together and handled with skill in all departments. Lets examine the history behind the film and the men who made it. Of course, he could not save many of his men from expiring, but he did their best to make conditions more comfortable. Pitted against the warden, Colonel . As shown in the movie, Guinness played the scene without flinching. The railway ran for 250 miles from Ban Pong, Thailand to Thanbyuzayat, Burma and is now known as the Death Railway. Persuaded that the film would be about the horror and folly of war, the Japanese government sent a military adviser to help with the camp scenes. Nicholson will not cooperate and finally insists that the bridge can be built only under his command. No visit to the Western Front is complete without a trip to The CWGC Visitor Centre. Showing the impact of disease on the workforce, Kanchanaburi contains two graves holding the ashes of 300 Cholera victims. According to Columbia Pictures, they followed an all-new 4K digital restoration from the original negative with newly restored 5.1 audio. Its a charming, idyllic spot, belying the intense horror and suffering the men who built it went through. The Bridge on the River Kwai. Guinness regarded this one tiny scene as some of the finest work he did throughout his entire career. When Joyce is wounded by Japanese fire, Shears swims across, but is himself shot. 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). (This can be compared to a scene in the 1927 movie, The General, which starred Buster Keaton.). The conditions to which POW and civilian labourers were subjected were far worse than the film depicted. Harry Cohn, the vulgar (but successful) man who ran Columbia Pictures at the time, was furious when he read the script and saw no . Nicholson advises Saito that the officers cannot be required to do manual labour according to the Geneva Convention. He, Shears, and Joyce reach the river in time with the assistance of Siamese women bearers and their village chief, Khun Yai. Victims were cremated and their remains are buried in the aforementioned graves. They included Chinese, Malayan, Burmese, Thai, Indonesian and Singaporean people. Camps were set up at 100-metre intervals. In a 1988 interview with Barry Norman, Lean confirmed that Columbia almost stopped filming after three weeks because there was no white woman in the film, forcing him to add what he called "a very terrible scene" between Holden and a nurse on the beach. Its this structure, Bridge 277, that still stands and is a famous local tourist attraction. The separate dialogue, music and effects were located and remixed with newly recorded "atmospheric" sound effects. Harry Cohn, the vulgar (but successful) man who ran Columbia Pictures at the time, was furious when he read the script and saw no love interest. The surviving sections stand as monuments to the men who suffered so much to build them. Shears and two others escape. Sessue Hayakawa really did accidentally strike Alec Guinness hard enough to draw blood in one scene. Casualties commemorated at Chungkai are mostly men who died in the field hospital set up by prisoners. The filming of the bridge explosion was to be done on 10 March 1957, in the presence of S.W.R.D. Ian Watts, longtime professor of English at Stanford and author of the landmark The Rise of the Novel, had actually been a prisoner in the camp and helped with the construction of the bridge. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a British 1957 movie from Columbia Pictures, based on Pierre Boulle's 1952 book The Bridge over the River Kwai (French: Le Pont de la Rivire Kwai). In 1984 the Academy Board of Governors voted posthumous Oscars to Foreman and Wilson, and their names were included on prints of the film beginning in the 1990s. By the way, the real Kwai River was just a trickle near Burma, where Boulle set his bridge; the actual bridge had been built 200 miles away, near Bangkok. This meant that some of the British prisoners were actually natives of the region wearing make-up to appear Caucasian. 1957 World War II film directed by David Lean, This article is about the film. Although the Death Railway has never again reached the Myanmar border, a shorter stretch was reopened by Thailand's railway authorities between 1949 and 1958, and trains on this modern-day line cross the infamous Bridge on the River Kwai. [50] William Holden was also credited for his acting for giving a solid characterization that was "easy, credible and always likeable in a role that is the pivot point of the story". 8. Only minor damage was inflicted. It is famously known as the setting for the a 1957 World War Two epic Bridge over the River Kwai. After Guinness was done with the scene, Lean said, "Now you can all fuck off and go home, you English actors. Toosey later defended him in his war crimes trial after the war, and the two became friends. Neither of them got credit, though, as The Bridge on the River Kwai was released during the three-year period when people who'd ever been Communists (or who refused to answer questions about it before Congress) were ineligible for Academy Awards. Spiegel sent the screenplay to the Japanese government ahead of time, hoping to get their cooperation with the production. See details. [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. Explore the story of the CWGC, from our formation during the First World War to our work today. It was repaired in time to be blown up the next morning, with Bandaranaike and his entourage present. Thanbyuzayat continued to be used as a POW reception centre to reinforce work parties along the Burma-Siam Railway. Commonwealth war graves commission Caring for the fallen, Commonwealth war graves foundation Our charity site. "[50] Kaplan further praised the actors, especially Alec Guinness, later writing "the film is unquestionably" his. He shows a rare sense of humor and a feeling for the poetry of situation; and he shows the even rarer ability to express these things, not in lines but in lives. Leadership Analysis: The Bridge On The River Kwai. The Bridge on the River Kwai was actually one of the reasons movies started becoming prime-time television programming. Nevertheless, the leeches in the recreated swamps were real. does not fall onto the plunger, and the bridge suffers only minor damage. 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). Sri Lanka Filming Locations: The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957) Posted on July 17, 2017 by tokyofox. The film is a work of fiction but borrows the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942-43 for its historical setting. Like Chungkai and Kanchanaburi, Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery was originally part of the camp set up serving the Burma-Siams construction. He'd just been through a costly divorce from actress Ann Todd. . Clipton objects, believing this to be collaboration with the enemy. Some 5,000 Commonwealth World War Two casualties are buried or commemorated in Kanchanaburi. After the war, their remains were moved from these makeshift cemeteries and graveyards to purpose-built Commission sites. Cast the Expert: Percy Herbert, who played the role of a prisoner of war in the film, actually spent four . Log in. The real River Kwai, and its bridge, is in what was then Siam, now Thailand.The name 'River Kwai' refers to the Khwae Noi and Khwae Yai rivers in western Thailand, which converge to become the Mae Klong river at Kanchanaburi, about 70 miles northwest of Bangkok, and it was across the Mae Klong that the infamous bridge was built. The Bridge on the River Kwai, British-American war film, released in 1957 and directed by David Lean, that was both a critical and popular success and became an enduring classic. Spiegel, the producer, bought the film rights to the book (the English version of which was called The Bridge Over the River Kwai) and hired Carl Foreman to write the script. The Bridge on the River Kwai poses complex interpretive issues about the vagaries of war and military behavior as conveyed by the Japanese soldiers, Commander Saito, Lt. Col. Nicholson, and the British captives. POWs and indentured labourers were worked to death while busy constructing the railway simultaneously. It was filmed in Kitulgala which is 60 . THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI takes place in Japan-occupied Siam (later Thailand) in 1943, after the Imperial Japanese Empire has conquered vast territories of Asia. Lean had a lengthy row with Guinness over how to play the role of Nicholson; the actor wanted to play the part with a sense of humour and sympathy, while Lean thought Nicholson should be "a bore." The Bridge on the River Kwai is now widely recognized as one of the greatest films ever made. Spiegel had it refurbished completely and then had one mile of railway track laid for it. The ending of that was sort of the story of life. We worked at bayonet point and under bamboo lash, taking any risk to sabotage the operation whenever the opportunity arose. It spans crosses the lazily winding Khwae Noi at Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Shears, who is a British commando officer like Warden in the novel, became an American sailor who escapes from the POW camp. Lean wanted Holden, a big star and recent Oscar winner (for Stalag 17), to play American prisoner Major Shears, over the objections of producer Spiegel, who wanted Cary Grant.
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