The Bridge on the River Kwai to air on ARTE

The 1957 anti-war epic “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” directed by David Lean, is scheduled to air on the television channel ARTE on Sunday, October 4, at 20:15.

Based on a novel by Pierre Boulle, the film depicts a fictional World War II episode where British Colonel Nicholson, played by Alec Guinness, oversees the construction of a strategic railway bridge for Japanese captors in a Southeast Asian labor camp. The narrative follows the conflict between Nicholson’s pursuit of perfection and duty and Major Shears, played by William Holden, who aims to destroy the structure.

The production was noted for its massive scale, involving 1,000 workers and 35 elephants to construct a real bridge over eight months. The film was a significant commercial and critical success, earning seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Alec Guinness.