25 Best Movies From The 1950s

22. The Bridge On The River Kwai

The Film: In what was a relatively quiet decade for director David Lean his one notable effort remains this enduring war epic. Set in a Japanese prison camp during World War II, Lean€™s interpretation of Pierre Boulle€™s award-winning novel sees Alec Guinness in career besting form as Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson, who is tasked by Sessue Hayakawa€™s cruel Colonel Saito (rightly Oscar-nominated for his villainous turn) to build the story€™s eponymous structure. After this, Lean went on to direct Lawrence Of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, but it€™s in this movie that his balance of scope and drama has never been bettered. Classic Moment: Apocalypse Now may have boasted of €˜the horror€™ but Bridge Over The River Kwai€™s frantic ending captures the €˜madness€™ of a plan not coming together in a way that is unforgettable.
Contributor
Contributor

Shaun is a former contributor for a number of Future Publishing titles and more recently worked as a staffer at Imagine Publishing. He can now be found banking in the daytime and writing a variety of articles for What Culture, namely around his favourite topics of film, retro gaming, music, TV and, when he's feeling clever, literature.