The Bridge on the River Kwai

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
IMBD #71 [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050212/]

The Gist:
This is the first real Alec Guinness movie I've watched besides any Obi-Wan incarnation (except for Laurence of Arabia but I don't know if that counts because I can't remember who he was). In any case, he was pretty damn good in the film...had a strong presence that carried the picture (especially since I thought the guy who played Shears was just alright). In terms of pure filmmaking, it is a thoroughly well made picture, it goes on for almost three hours and appears fairly weightless. This is because the struggle they take part in is so engaging, because the whole movie is framed around consistent clashes of ideals and life philosophies. No one goes through any great change as a character, they are even bordering two dimensionality but the director guides the performances well. The result is that we have strong presences that don't change because the story's drama is not in but in the the changing perspective of the characters but in the conflict of these different personalities put into close proximity to each other. Only occasionally does this get too expositional, like the end where the doctor just repeats "madness". Apocalypse Now this is not. In fact, in terms of the technical perfection of Laurence of Arabia this film pales in comparison as well. However, it is a more enjoyable film, not a better film mind you, but one I can see myself watching more often. I guess I'm not a pure film person for that reason, but I can live with that. After all, a little imperfection makes a film unique. In terms of the visuals, throughout most of the feature it is very functional. Lean uses lots of longer shots, taking on a vastness very similar to the aesthetic in Laurence of Arabia. However, there are brief moments where he fills the frames with abstractions, moments of nature, touching upon something that Terrence Malick would hone to perfection in The Thin Red Line (unless you're one of those who think these scenes dominate too much of Malick's film). Here, however, the moments are brief but beautiful. In particular there is a scene where a grenade thrown at the enemy causes hundreds of birds to fly up from the trees in a panic, and they fill the sky throughout the dog fight and then after, still restless as the action dies down...it is a wonderful scene, breathtaking even (to use an appropriate cliche).