10 More Movies Based On True Stories (That Were Total Lies)

Based on the novel The Bridge over the River Kwai, the film showcases the real-life events of a group of British prisoners of war being forced by the Japanese to construct a bridge to advance their efforts against the Allies. Widely considered a classic, the film was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won seven, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor.

The men that the movie portrayed widely took issue with it, however, particularly with the portrayal of the commanding office whose name was changed. In the film, he is presented as an obsessive man instructing those under him to build the highest-quality bridge they can, no matter the consequences to their allies. His motivation would seem to be mainly pride.

In actuality, his driving force was apparently keeping his men from being killed or otherwise harmed, which they likely would have been if they had angered their captors. And it also seems he wasn't very encouraging of building a high-quality bridge and was deeply troubled that they may have been giving aid to the enemy.