The Bridge on the River Kwai1957The Bridge on the River Kwai
1957
In a Japanese prison camp in Burma in 1943, British Colonel Nicholson defies the camp commander over the Geneva Conventions. Then he sets his men to build a railway bridge as a monument to British discipline, while Allied commandos set out to destroy it.
For children old enough to talk it through: sustained intensity, or language or sexual content that Common Sense Media rates 7–9.
Why it’s here
David Lean's masterpiece about pride, duty, and how a good man can forget what his duty is for. A serious film for older children.
Context notes
For parents, before you press play.
Prisoners are punished in a sweatbox, soldiers are stabbed and shot, and the explosive climax kills main characters. Nicholson's pride leads him into helping the enemy, which the film treats as tragic and is worth discussing, and Shears has lied about his rank; drinking and smoking.
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Discussion questions
When the credits end, go around the room. Each person gives the film a score out of ten and says why.
- Why did Colonel Nicholson want to build the best bridge he could?
- When did his pride lead him wrong?
- Was Shears a coward or a hero?
- What did "Madness!" mean at the end?
Content advisory
Common Sense Media 11+: soldiers stabbed at close range and shot; explosions and a high casualty list near the end; social drinking and soldierly smoking.
Trailer
Best edition
The disc comes first.
The Bridge on the River Kwai 4K Blu-ray (60th Anniversary Edition)
4K · October 3, 2017
Edition link coming soon.
Listing on Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)Coming later
Where to stream
Streaming services are not listed yet. When they are, this note stays secondary to the disc.