--- title: "The Bridge on the River Kwai: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-bridge-on-the-river-kwai/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-bridge-on-the-river-kwai" critics_score: 85 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957): what the critics said Critics' score 85 from 11 reviews: 10 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics rate it highly and agree on where the strength lies: Alec Guinness as Colonel Nicholson. Nearly every review singles him out, praising the dry, reserved intensity of the performance and the way it shows the snobbery and folly beneath the discipline. David Lean’s direction and the Ceylon scenery are the next most frequent points of praise, along with the assault on the bridge, which several reviews treat as action filmmaking of the first order. The film is generally read as an anti-war drama about pride and honour rather than a straightforward adventure. The spread is narrow; only one review is mixed. Eye for Film finds the film overlong and thinks the William Holden subplot looks like a studio addition that adds little, though Radio Times argues the same thread sharpens the ironies of war. The Los Angeles Times has doubts about the cryptic ending, and Time Out dislikes one character’s overwrought dialogue. Nobody disputes Guinness. ## Radio Times — Andrew Collins Rating 5/5. The critic highlights this as one of the most enduring Second World War films, commending its examination of the stiff upper lip and the central performances, especially Alec Guinness as Colonel Nicholson. The ironies of war are effectively pointed up by the subplot involving William Holden's character. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-nb9uwa/the-bridge-on-the-river-kwai/) ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic calls it a proud and accomplished war movie with lavish cinematography, meaty performances and a psychologically complex script, highlighting Nicholson's gradual breakdown into madness and Guinness's legendary performance as the indefatigable Colonel. It is described as possibly Lean's most complicated movie and a towering work. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/bridge-river-kwai-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Philip K. Scheuer Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 24 November 1957. The film demonstrates the limitless potential of cinema, gaining from wide screen and color, with brilliant direction by David Lean and a standout performance by Alec Guinness as the inflexible British colonel. It singles out the ironic contrast between the beautiful Ceylon scenery and the tragedy of war, while noting a flaw in the cryptic finish. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/story/2022-09-01/from-the-archives-bridge-on-the-river-kwai-spans-wars-extremes) ## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 22 December 1957. The film is a powerful, classic anti-war drama with provocative intellectual levels and brilliant direction. It singles out Alec Guinness's masterful portrait of the British colonel for its depth, power, and subtle revelations of snobbery and folly. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1957/12/22/archives/powerful-drama-bridge-on-river-kwai-spans-action-and-theme.html) ## Variety — Mike Kaplan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 November 1957. The gripping drama is expertly put together with skill in all departments and elevates to an artistic and financial triumph through engrossing entertainment and memorable scenes. It singles out Alec Guinness's unforgettable portrait of the British officer for its tremendous power and dignity. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1957/film/reviews/the-bridge-on-the-river-kwai-2-1200418413/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 18 April 1999. The film focuses on individuals rather than broader rights and wrongs of war, showing how men cling to military discipline and pride. It singles out Alec Guinness's performance as Colonel Nicholson for its dry, reserved intensity and the central irony of his obsession with building the bridge. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-bridge-on-the-river-kwai-1957) ## Slant Magazine — Christian Blauvelt Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 21 September 2010. The critic sees the film as a study of human will embodied in Colonel Nicholson, praising its subtle exploration of the irrationality of honor and British class hypocrisy while maintaining a thrilling war narrative. They single out the effective use of natural sounds and ambient audio over music to build psychological tension and suspense. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-bridge-on-the-river-kwai/) ## Time Out — Keith Uhlich Rating 4/5. 20 September 2010. The critic praises the film's skillful, suspenseful WWII adventure and its elegant shuffling among three perspectives, along with the peerless action filmmaking of the bridge assault. A minor complaint is the overwrought dialogue from one character that slightly dilutes the grandeur. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-bridge-on-the-river-kwai-1) ## The New Yorker — John McCarten Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 1957. The picture is an adult blend of comedy, romance, satire, melodrama, and tragedy rather than primitive derring-do, with praise to spare for the cast and direction. It singles out the exciting commando journey and lovely Ceylon scenery, along with strong performances especially from William Holden. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1957/12/28/bridge-of-sighs) ## Collider — Liam Gaughan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 July 2025. The critic praises the film as a thoughtful, emotionally dynamic examination of the burdens of warfare and one of the first mainstream anti-war films. They single out Alec Guinness's Oscar-winning performance as the obsessive Colonel Nicholson and the film's monumental epic scale and enduring power. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-bridge-on-the-river-kwai-war-movie/) ## Eye for Film — Stephen Carty Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 9 February 2011. Festival review. The critic finds the film overly long despite its spectacle and grand cinematography, but praises Alec Guinness's magnetic performance as Colonel Nicholson and the compelling battle of wills with the Japanese colonel. The subplot involving William Holden's character feels like a studio-mandated addition that doesn't add much. [Read the review](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-bridge-on-the-river-kwai-film-review-by-stephen-carty) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-bridge-on-the-river-kwai.md