Episode 54: THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI
Take a trip with us to Southeast Asia in the midst of World War II, as a British Colonel faces off against his Japanese captor in David Lean's adventure epic The Bridge on the River Kwai. Released in 1957, the film tells the story of Col. Nicholson and Col. Saito, two head strong men who butt heads as the British Prisoners of War are forced to build a rail bridge over the Kwai River.
There's also an American, Shears, who reluctantly joins a commando squad to hike through the jungle to blow up the bridge.
Starring Alec Guiness, William Holden, and Sessue Hayakawa, The Bridge on the River Kwai racked up seven Oscars (TM), including Best Picture. It ranks #16 on our countdown.*
Be sure to look out for us again next week for a discussion of Annie Hall.
Spoiler Alert: We talk about the movie in its entirety, so if you haven't yet seen it, check it out. Or not. That ball is in your court.
*What is this list?
We explain it in more detail in our Trailer and its Description, but as a high-level answer: we aggregated several different lists that rank the ninety-four winners of the Best Picture Academy Award in a rough attempt to get a consensus. It is not intended to be rigorous or definitive. It's just a framework to guide our journey through cinema history.