Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Kwai Not?


Alec Guiness seeing a blockbuster science fiction movie in his future.

The Bridge on the River Kwai: lots to recommend it. It's long (2 hours and 41 minutes) and certainly of the "epic" style that the director David Lean is known for but still compelling and fun to watch. Alec Guiness is great as the uber-Brit, Major Nichols, and William Holden is sufficiently manly and rakish as a "second-class swab jockey" posing as an officer. Ultimately, it's an anti-war film, I think, and is meant to demonstrate senselessness of war and the ways in which people allow themselves to forget their basic humanity.

2 comments:

Paul and Linda said...

I recently watched this not too long ago. It is one of my fav's. Although, watching it on commercial ridden TV makes it a 4 hr. experience ! You forgot to mention one of the great supporting actors, Sessue Hayakawa (sp ?) and his famous line : "This is war, not a game of cricket" (to that effect), so "senseless" is the right word.

PS. Yesterday, Avery told us, pointing to a pix on the front page of Obama, "this is who we are voting for, not that crabby little man with the short arms !" Well, then ...

Paul and Linda said...

My own red pencil ... "recently" and "not too long ago" are redundant !

Plus I forgot to whistle the "Colonel Boogie's March" while typing this ... ;o)