Rating of
4/4
"This is war! This is not a game of cricket!"
Arbogast1960 - wrote on 04/03/08
For some reason, the only word I can come up with to describe this movie is "regal." Which doesn't make much sense, as it's a war movie. There's just something so awe-inspiring and grand about it--David Lean takes a movie about POWs building a bridge and turns it into an epic about the human capacity for misguided fervor. Speaking as someone who's not a huge war movie fan, this film is gripping. It accomplishes the rare feat of taking an enormous conflict and successfully focusing it on one man. (I purposely ignore the William Holden B story which, while not always enthralling (especially its romantic elements), is necessary to the denouement). Alec Guinness is spellbinding as the British officer whose ambition to prove the British are the world's most honorable and diligent people blinds him to his aiding and abetting of the enemy--while one must usually be wary of British actors who are dubbed "great" (the general equation runs something like "scenery chewing + British accent = greatness"), Guinness is truly one of film's all-time great actors, and worth seeking out in almost anything. This film is no exception. Gorgeous to look at, with sumptuous location cinematography in Ceylon. And if you're not moved by the finale, then check your pulse.
