Bridge On The River Kwai - 2 Disc Set

'The Bridge on the River Kwai' is a fictitious story based loosely on the building of the Burma Railway in 1943. It tells the intriguing story of how difficult it can be to keep ones principles in tact in the face of adversity, particularly in times of war.

The first half of the film focuses largely on the battle of wills regarding the building of the bridge between British Col. Nicholson and Japanese Col. Saito. Rather than going for the simple good Vs evil tale we are shown how each man must balance their own believes with the orders and responsibilities they are given. It is testament to the films quality that despite Saito's cruelty we can still sympathise with him.

We learn later in the film that the Bridge being built over the Kwai is actually of key military importance to the Japanese and a small group of allied soldiers are tasked with sneaking into Burma and destroying it. This all leads to a well shot finale on the riverbed of the Kwai which I will not spoil here.

Despite very strong acting performances all round 'The Bridge on the River Kwai', as is to be expected from a film that is over 50 years old, can feel a little dated in places. The over use of orchestral music during dramatic scenes certainly shows the films age and the poor quality of the combat scenes can be a little jarring. These are however minor grips in a film that is all about the characters and their principles rather than seeing bullets fly. 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' certainly deserves the critical acclaim it has received since its release and would make a good addition to any film collection.

This is a fantastic movie, that tells the true story of one of the many moving stories of world war 2. First watched it one Christmas when I was 10 with all the family and friends. Everyone was just gripped by it.
Brilliant movie. Buy it!!!!!!!

..I was recommended this by a guy at work and it is a brilliant film. £5 very well spent.