During the Second World War (1939-1945) Japan which began to gain incredible victories taking more and more Far Eastern countries, had plans to conquer India. With such empire-building plans it decided to build a bridge to reach India via Burma. To achieve it all, a bridge had to be built during 1943 across the River Kwai in the Burma -Thailand jungles. The bridge on the River Kwai, still exists near Kanchanaburi, Thailand, and is a major tourist attraction today (after the great success of the movie!)

Over 60,000 prisoners of war mostly British and also Indian, and 200,000 Asian laborers slogged under primitive conditions of existence to put up the bridge. Many died during the 8-month-long-construction due to the then incurable tropical diseases, dehydration, starvation, and by unimaginable terrorizing torture, and also by suicide. Some became insane and were shot as useless.

This stirring and shocking story of human greed, and lust for power was written as a best-selling novel by the French writer Pierre Boulle.

It all began when the go-getting daring Hollywood producer Sam Spiegel acquired the French novel for making the movie. He had Orson Welles to play the British Commanding Officer and David Lean to direct the movie. However before Lean, he offered the movie to the all-time great John Ford, and famed filmmaker Fred Zinnemann. Both did not like the novel and rejected the offer. Scouting around the producer finally chose David Lean. Years later when he was asked about it, Spiegel said, "Absence of anybody else!"

However Orson Welles declined for two reasons, that if he acted in the movie he should direct it too, and the role was not really his cup of coffee! Then Lean was signed by Spiegel who had in mind the celebrated British stage and screen star Charles Laughton for the lead role. However as David Lean was known for his realistic vision and rigid standards of his movies, he rejected the British star because of his ample girth. "You can't have a fat man as commander of starving and emaciated prisoners!" He said. Unknown to the director Spiegel had offered the role even to Spencer Tracy! The great American star and actor rejected it at once! He said that he was too fat to play that role and also he could not effectively manage the British accent!

Interestingly the role of Commanding Officer (CO) Nicholson was offered to Alec Guinness who rejected it at first but later with Spiegel’s persuasion he agreed. His performance was absolutely brilliant and earned him the ‘Oscar’ for ‘Best Actor’.

David Lean decided to shoot the movie on actual locations in Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon) in view of its excellent landscape, picturesque locations, jungles, mountains and all. And Lean loved its still lingering British ambiance! Lean was such a meticulous worker he spent months, even years on preparing the screenplay in association with the writer.

Columbia Pictures who bankrolled the movie and Spiegel felt the script had no love interest or sex. It was all about men and men who were prisoners of war. Yielding to pressures the writers and Lean wrote a love scene between a prisoner and nurse. Lean shot it and remarked, "It’s bloody awful!"

Another role, which was difficult to cast, was the American prisoner Shears who escapes. At first Cary Grant was approached to play the role, but he did not show interest because of the small role and the shooting in far away tropical jungles and deadly insect- infested hot country! Finally the handsome Hollywood actor and star William Holden was cast in that role.

For the role of Japanese commandant Lean did not have much difficulty in casting the famous Japanese star Sessue Hayakawa.

One of the elements that contributed to the great success of the movie was its musical score and more precisely ‘Colonel Bogey' march. This song which is actually whistled by the prisoners as they march into the camp was Lean’s idea. (The words  were bawdy and even vulgar for 1950’s and hence Lean decided to have the song whistled!) He felt that if the prisoners while marching should sing in stead of being silent it would add to the visual appeal. Foreman thought it was unrealistic and unnatural which ultimately led in his walking out of the movie.

In the novel the bridge stands and such an ending Lean felt was weak. Any film needs elements of conflict to create suspense and interest about the outcome keeping the viewer glued to his seat. Leans suggested to his writer to demolish the bridge by the British commandos, which gave the movie a new direction and paved way for suspense, thrill and interest.

The Bridge On The River Kwai was shot near the small town Kitulgala in Sri Lanka over a period of nearly eight months. Lean was a slow worker because to him only quality in every frame mattered, not time and dollars consumed. He never compromised and even in this movie, certain close-ups of William Holden he shot more than twenty times to get the right effect and impact! The Hollywood star was, of course, not amused!

Not surprisingly by the time the shooting came to a close only a fistful of people were on talking terms with the exacting director!

Released in December 1957 The Bridge On The River Kwai proved to be a major hit around the world. Produced at a cost of $2.8 million (which was quite expensive in 1957) it collected more than $22 million. Many people became millionaires including Pierre Boulle!

At  the Oscar Awards race it won seven awards including Best Picture, Best director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Music Score, Best Cinematography and Best Editing.

David Lean created film history as the first British film director to win the American ‘Oscar’. After this movie he zoomed ahead to make more memorable milestone movies like Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, Passage to India and others.