THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957) Reaction | First Time Watching

[@jamesalexander5623]

A Super Classic! Cast, Story, Score, Cinematography! .... "Madness! Madness!"

[@joanward1578]

One of my favorite classics.

[@whimsofmim]

Great film. I remember watching it as a teenager and feeling gutted and perplexed by the ending (wasn't expecting it and hadn't watched many movies up to that point that had troubling endings). I think it's very much meant to hammer home just how crazy and nonsensical everything that war touches becomes. Such great performances. The physical acting of Alec Guinness was incredible (conveying the physical exhaustion). I think the Japanese commander was going to commit ritual suicide after the train passed because he had essentially been defeated by his British counterpart, I'm not sure about that, though.

[@chefskiss6179]

Fantastic selection, THANKS Ian. Wonderful watchalong with you both. The tension in the last moments of the film still hold up and is still a masterclass in arse-squeezing. I got to have quite a number of Films by Guinness under my belt before "Ben" showed up on the scene; and yes, it is a phenomenal career...Lawrence of Arabia sure, but Kind Hearts & Coronets and The Man In The White Suit are some real faves.

[@StreamingNomad]

Cheers - I also submitted them another David Lean and Sam Spiegel film (Lawrence of Arabia) and am seriously thinking of adding a third (Dr Zhivago) in the spring.

[@chefskiss6179]

@@StreamingNomad At first I coulda sworn they'd done Lawrence, but then maybe it's TBR I'm remembering. Great choices on your part. - I kinda have Attenborough's Gandhi high up there on my reaction channel bingo card 😂

[@StreamingNomad]

@@chefskiss6179 It's been on and off my list as other films took hold... it's a good choice though!

[@StreamingNomad]

@@chefskiss6179 Lawrence is currently a Patreon only showing; but it's there....

[@StreamingNomad]

I'll say the top three things I've shown Nick and Jen that I am most "proud" of are: 3 - Gene Kelly dancing in the rain, 2 - Major Kong riding the bomb, and 1 - Cary Grant dealing with his murderous aunts and brother.

[@iKvetch558]

Also, the film is set in Thailand, and the railroad they are building the bridge for is between Bangkok and Rangoon in Burma. So when William Holden escapes and gets to the sea, he would be somewhere on the west side of the Thailand area, probably in the Andaman Sea.

[@shainewhite2781]

Winner of 7 Oscars including Best Picture.

[@TheFalconerNZ]

A great companion movie I watch with this one which also stars Alec Guinness & Jack Hawkins, the leader of the attack to blow up the bridge (both seen in here) is 'Lawrence of Arabia' (1962) featuring Peter O'Toole as Lawrence, Anthony Quinn & Omar Sharif. It is a star studded film that is still examined in film schools as a masterpiece in film making. It has unbelievably beautiful visual scenes that have very rarely been matched since, with a blend of perfect music, acting, cinematography, editing, production design, dialogues, etc. It doesn't lack in anything. You have seen a few seconds of 'Lawrence of Arabia' in the movie 'Prometheus' (2012). It is long (3h 47m) but never drags & will become a repeat watch.

[@laylavonmav2587]

Glad you’re finally watching this masterpiece. Has been a favorite of mine forever. And as usual, you know the background politics and the roles the countries played in the wars. 👍 just like in “Troy” you know your history. 😊

[@JoannDavi]

Go back even more: William Holden in "Sunset Boulevard" (or "Stalag 17") and Alec Guinness in "Kind Hearts and Coronets."

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

Sir Alec Guinness played eight or nine characters in "Kind Hearts and Coronets" (1949), one of the many Ealing comedies he did. As Canadians, you will also be interested to know that on 13th, July 1953, he inaugurated the Stratford Ontario Shakespearean Festival in the title role of "Richard III."

[@hurricane1951]

One of the overlooked all-time gems of subtle black comedy.

[@burkepota]

Pierre Boulle penned the novels to this and Planet of the Apes. Michael Wilson wrote the screenplay for this and co wrote the Apes screenplay along with Rod Serlings previous drafts. Wilson was a victim of the blacklist so when this screenplay won the Academy Award, Boulle had to come up and accept it. I also read where Heston's blowing up Earth at the end of Apes 2 came from him thinking of Guiness blowing the bridge at the end of this story. Good choice here Mom and Son! Great film.

[@BouillaBased]

Can never get enough of seeing this film. And a brilliant reaction!

[@Jen-Mom]

😊❤

[@iKvetch558]

That is excellent spotting...Sessue Hayakawa plays Colonel Saito in this film...and he did play Kuala the Pirate Chief in Swiss Family Robinson.

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

He also played a Japanese prison camp commandant in "Three Came Home" (1950), a gut-wrenching film.

[@Zenon0K]

47:35. Regarding the Saito scene, he was essentially writing his official report on the the bridge and confirming it was completed on schedule (obviously sending an informal one via radio/telegram so they aren’t sending a train where there isn’t rail). He cuts a bit of hair to send to prove his identity, think wax seal or the modern stamp seals Japan uses (although symbolic). Just a formal Japanese thing, but fair enough it shares a lot of the same acts as with both seppuku, will drafting and samurai humiliation rituals too so easy misread that.

[@edgesdragon888]

Alec Guiness also played Marcus Aurelius in the 1960s movie, The Fall of the Roman Empire. Gladiator is inspired by it.

[@bernardsalvatore1929]

First off, FANTASTIC movie that was released in the year that I was born and I've always loved this film!! With that said I'm 67 years old with sometimes the mind of a child because every time I hear them whistling that tune that they whistle all I can think of are the lyrics that we used to sing to it when we were kids... Now sing these lyrics to the tune of what they whistle... "Comet, it makes your mouth turn green Comet, it tastes like Listerine Comet, it makes you vomit So get some comet and vomit today!"😂❤ Like I said, 67 years old with the mind of a child sometimes😮😅

[@Jen-Mom]

😅

[@raymeedc]

~ The talk you referred to concerning Peter Sellers being the next Alec Guinness was referring to their earlier British films, when both were putting out satirical comedies in a somewhat comparable vein, as their careers afterwards had nothing much to do with each other, Sellers remains in comedies exclusively, while Guinness took on a much more serious role path ~

[@1wwtom]

Yeah I'm Old now! I think I first saw this Classic as a kid in the back of my Dads '59 Dodge at the drive In movies.

[@Jen-Mom]

😊

[@billytidwell7229]

Great reaction to a great movie. I always enjoy watching movies with y'all ✌️

[@Jen-Mom]

😊❤

[@atroll109]

Good notice that you thought that the actor who plays the Japanese commander looked like the pirate captain in Swiss Family Robinson. Because this Japanese actor did, in fact play the pirate captain in the Disney 1960 classic The Swiss Family Robinson! The actor, Sessue Hayakawa, was in the Swiss Family Robinson 3 years after he was in The Bridge On The River Kwai.

[@jlb6]

David Lean is the epic king. The River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, and Passage to India.. The forties films stand out too. Personally Zhivago

[@Dej24601]

The book on which this film is based, and the film are located at a river in Thailand. However, all filming was actually done in Sri Lanka.

[@flarrfan]

Filmed in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka...The Japanese were building the railway in preparation for invading India. The "island" was not literal...Saito said they were in an island in the jungle.

[@hurricane1951]

I always thought it was shot in Thailand. The actors who played the native women had Thai names.

[@phantombrakeman4983]

Excellent reaction. You do a good job with these ww2 films. An outstanding German/French railroad men battle of will is “The Train” with Burt Lancaster with lots of action and stunts be the actors.

[@Jen-Mom]

😊

[@user-gt2uf8cq9y]

The whistling scene is now famous for its use here, but it is meant to be disrespectful when they enter because the melody was known then as "Hitler Has One Ball".

[@les-b5p]

Holden turned down the lead in "Sayonara" (M. Brando)) for this film. Good choice.

[@bcfc2947]

You HAVE to react to Lawrence of Arabia after watching that. It is easily one of the greatest movies ever made and its Steven Spielbergs favourite film. It is easily one of David Leans (who directed this movie) Greatest films.

[@flarrfan]

Minority opinion: BORING

[@raymeedc]

Do yourselves a favor & check out some of Alec Guinness’s wonderful earlier British films before he came to America, “Last Holiday”, “The Man In The White Suit”, “Our Man In Havana” 👌

[@joeyartk]

The Japanese weren't signatories to the Geneva convention and didn't treat their prisoners any worse than they expected Japanese prisoners to be treated.

[@matthewcoleman4305]

you ought to read the book Ghost soldiers

[@donbergeson6771]

I've always loved this movie and it's an incredible cast. My one thing against it, even though I understand why they did it for the telling of the story, is they made the Japanese look completely inept. They made it look like the Japanese had no concept of engineering, like only the white man could do it right, when, in reality, the Japanese were very good at building bridges and had plenty of experience at doing so by then.

[@FilmNerdy]

My Dads favourite film. Thanks for doing this. Do you still do Patron requests based on a membership? I am a Patron but don't know which tier you accept requests. Be curious and appreciated if you see this and reply.

[@Flix2Us]

Currently only our Grandmaster level Patrons can make requests for us each month. That level is full, but we're always open to comments and suggestions.

[@joeydoc5119]

Please watch the Swiss family Robinson film use will love it .