Where is the bridge over river kwai filmed

Although the death railway has never again reached the myanmar border, a. Where is the real bridge on the river kwai and is it still. Visit to bridge on the river kwai film location in sri lanka. They were put to work under terrible conditions and were treated brutally. It was a now or never situation though so we went for it. The british didnt build the railway in the 19th century because it would be too expensive. Sri lanka to rebuild bridge from river kwai movie bbc news. The bridge on the river kwai escaped planned bombing, and remains in place in kanchanaburi as a tourist attraction and functioning railway bridge over which trains pass daily.

The death railway starts at nong pladuk, a junction on the bangkok to singapore main line some 80km west of bangkok. The bridge on the river kwai is a british 1957 movie from columbia pictures, based on pierre boulles 1952 book the bridge over the river kwai french. The rivers kwaiyai and kwainoi meet at a confluence just south of kanchanaburi, at which the combined rivers become the maeklong. It won seven academy awards, including best picture and leans first as best director, and has been named to the library of congress national film. Bridge on the river kwai film locationsri lanka youtube. Furthermore, despite the title there wasnt even a bridge over the river kwai until they changed the name of another river nearby which did. David leans the bridge on the river kwai 1957 is a brilliant triple character study set during world war ii. Sri lanka is to rebuild a bridge that was destroyed in an iconic scene from the classic 1957 movie bridge on the river kwai. The first of david leans largescale epics, the bridge on the river kwai was filmed not in thailand, where the real bridge still stands, but on location in sri lanka, the large island in the indian ocean off the southern coast of india 425 feet long, rising 90 feet above the water and supposedly costing a phenomenal quarter of a million dollars, leans bridge was built at a. We follow the engaging alec guinness as he masterfully and stubbornly manipulates and debates with a japanese colonel, while another man escapes their prison camp to only return to blow up the bridge the british pows forced to construct. The bridge on the river kwai won best picture and six other oscar nods from the academy of motion pictures arts and sciences at the 1958 academy awards. The real history of how the railway between burma and china was built, including the bridge, is a horrific story. The bridge on the river kwai is a 1957 epic war film directed by david lean and based on the 1952 novel written by pierre boulle.

The filming of the movie happened in many countries, with quite a few of them being shot in sri lanka. The biggest mistakes you never noticed in the bridge on the river kwai 1957. The bridge on the river kwai simple english wikipedia. It is still standing, though it was destroyed and rebuilt during the war, and has. Although the 1957 film was set on the death railway of burma, where british pows built a real bridge over a real river kwai in thailand, it was. This film was shot in sri lanka then called ceylon, and a bridge was erected for the purpose of shooting the film over kelani river at kitulgala, sri lanka. David leans bridge on the river kwai a classic film. The novel was made into the 1957 film the bridge on the river kwai, directed by david lean, which won the 1957 academy award for best picture. The bridge on the river kwai is that rare film about something as seemingly blackandwhite as world war ii that is colored entirely in shades of.

The bridge on the river kwai film location sri lanka youtube. This entry was posted in asia travel, movie locations and tagged bridge on the river kwai, bridge on the river kwai filming locations, how to get to peradeniya botanic gardens by local bus, kitulgala, mount lavinia hotel, obiwan kenobi, things to do in colombo, where was bridge on the river kwai filmed bookmark the permalink. Journeying to the jungle where the bridge on the river. My parents have suggested that we stay an extra night and do a day trip to see the bridge over the river kwai they have explained that the bridge is nothing special, but the day trip and the war graves are good. Although the 1957 film was set on the death railway of burma, where british pows built a real bridge over a real river kwai in thailand, it was filmed in sri lanka i. The first of david leans largescale epics, the bridge on the river kwai was filmed not in thailand, where the real bridge still stands, but on location in sri. What the film did not win was the respect and admiration from members of the far east prisoners of war fepow due to the fictitious portrayal of events. British pows are forced to build a railway bridge across the river kwai for their japanese captors.

The bridge on the river kwai, kanchanaburi, thailand. Its potency stems only partly from the boxoffice draw of william holden and, to. The bridge on the river kwai opens in a japanese prisonerofwar camp in burma in 1943, where a battle of wills rages between camp commander. The section shown in the picture is not a part of the famous bridge, but part of the whampo viaduct beside the river. It is perhaps one of the most iconic movie scenes of all time the moment the bridge on the river kwai is blown up in the 1957 film about prisoners of war in world war two. Bridge on the river kwai a fierce antiwar polemic disguised as a withering war film david leans bridge on the river kwai a classic film worth watching again and again. Sri lanka to rebuild bridge on the river kwai mail online. The bridge on the river kwai was released on 2000 which is a britishamerican world war ii movie, it was a turner classic movie. As much as a classic war film, the bridge on the river kwai is an examination of obsession and stubborn pride.

We are staying in bangkok in february for 3 nights. Colonel nicholson, the senior british officer, decides his duty is to build the best bridge he can, even though it would help the enemy troop movements. During the world war ii, japans prisoners of war had to undergo much torture and pain. Although the 1957 film was set on the death railway of burma, where british pows built a real bridge over a real river kwai in thailand, it was filmed in sri lanka. The actual bridge on the river kwai is located in thailand, and stretches over a part of the mae klong river, which was renamed khwae yai thai for big tributary. Jerry tallmer blows up river kwai the village voice. The 1957 film was shot in various locations, concentrating in particular on sri lanka, where a wooden bridge was built as a set tunnels are now under construction to divert water from the kelani. View all hotels near bridge over the river kwai on tripadvisor. With william holden, alec guinness, jack hawkins, sessue hayakawa. A smith article describes bridge on river kwai, near kanchanaburi, thailand, built by allied pows during japanese occupation of thailand in world war ii and subject of famous film the bridge on. The bridge on the river kwai is a gripping drama, expertly put together and handled with skill in all departments. The bridge on the river kwai was one of those exceptional movies that seemed to please everybody ingroup, outgroup, the film.

Bridge on the river kwai, kanchanaburi, thailand the story about world war ii duration. The majority of its smaller components are originals, while a few are postwar replacements. Near but not crossing over the border of myanmar, the river begins at the confluence of ranti, songkalia and bikhli rivers, and merges with the khwae yai river at kanchanaburi, a town located 180 kms west of bangkok. Like robert graves world war i memoir, goodbye to all that, it shows men grimly hanging onto military discipline and pride in their units as a way of clinging to sanity. The line heads northwest to kanchanaburi, over the bridge on the river kwai, along the kwae noi little kwai and over the wampo viaduct to nam tok, the current terminus for passenger trains. The bridge on the river kwai 1957 directed by david. The true story of the bridge on the river kwai neatorama. Filming locations 14 production dates 1 filming locations. Yet, when colonel nicholson falls on the detonator, there are explosions on the bridge itself, far above where the charges were placed, regardless of the water level. Youve probably seen the 1957 move the bridge on the river kwai, but you might not know how much of the film was real and how much was fictionalized. The movie was mainly filmed in ceylon now sri lanka and also in england in 1941 the japanese army invaded thailand. The roles of heroics and war initiative on display in 1917 and the bridge at remagen are less obvious and more symbolic in the bridge on the river kwai columbia pictures, 1957.

After the final scene was shot, producer sam spiegel shipped the film footage on five. Both rivers converge into the mae klong river, which empties into. This is arguably one of the greatest world war ii pictures of all time. The movie, which depicts british prisoners of war forced by the japanese to build a bridge on the thailandburma railway, was filmed in sri lanka. It was filmed in kitulgala which is 60 kilometres southwest from kandy and colombo is nearly 100 kilometres west of there. The bridge on the river kwai 1957, the memorable, epic world war ii adventureaction, antiwar drama, was the first of director david leans major multimillion dollar, widescreen superspectaculars his later epics included lawrence of arabia 1962 and doctor zhivago 1965. The bridge on the river kwai 1957 is one of the few that focuses not on larger rights and wrongs but on individuals. Directed by david lean, action takes place in a japanese prisonerofwar camp in burma. The real bridge on the river kwai train from bangkok to. The bridge on the river kwai 1957 movie mistakes, goofs. The bridge on the river kwai, british american war film 1957 directed by david lean that won seven academy awards. It is technically in tha makham, and runs over the river kwai yai, though if youre travelling there you will want to ask for kanchanaburi, which is the nearby town.

Bridge over the river kwai kanchanaburi 2020 all you. However, the true history of what really happened during the building of the bridge over the river kwai has almost been erased by the popularity of the movie. Thanks to the film, the bridge, situated in the thai town of kanchanaburi a couple of hours drive from bangkok, is one of thailands most popular tourist attractions. British pows are forced to build a railway bridge across the river kwai for. The bridge on the river kwai 1957 movies, tv, celebs, and more. It would be a long detour and a much more expensive one too when compared to simply taking a train between the two aforementioned cities. The first of david lean s largescale epics, the bridge on the river kwai was filmed not in thailand, where the real bridge still stands, but on location in sri lanka, the large island in the indian ocean off the southern coast of india. Journeying to the lush jungle backdrop where the bridge on the.

The film uses the historical setting of the construction of the burma railway in 19421943. The river kwai, or khwae noi as its more correctly known, is located in western thailand. River kwai thailand thailand vacation 202021 goway. The bridge on the river kwai is a masterpiece in pacing, performances, and scripting.