The Bridge on the River Kwai

1957 · directed by David Lean

Rating

97/100

Hit

yes

Prestige lists

AFI 100, Oscar Winner, NFR

The classic story of English POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. British and American intelligence officers conspire to blow up the structure, but Col. Nicholson, the commander who supervised the bridge's construction, has acquired a sense of pride in his creation and tries to foil their plans.

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), directed by David Lean, rates 97/100 — a hit. See how its director, cast and crew rate across their careers.

Cast

• William Holden
• Alec Guinness
• Jack Hawkins
• Sessue Hayakawa
• James Donald
• Geoffrey Horne
• André Morell
• Peter Williams
• John Boxer
• Percy Herbert

Crew

• Jack Hildyard — Director of Photography
• Peter Taylor — Editor
• Malcolm Arnold — Original Music Composer
• Carl Foreman — Screenplay
• Michael Wilson — Screenplay

More from David Lean

1. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) — 99/100 · hit
2. Doctor Zhivago (1965) — 86/100 · hit
3. Brief Encounter (1945) — 84/100 · hit
4. Oliver Twist (1948) — 83/100 · hit
5. Great Expectations (1946) — 83/100 · hit
6. This Happy Breed (1944) — 83/100 · hit

How these numbers work: Methodology