“There can be no question of this searching, searing picture's greatness; no doubt that here is the finest, and very likely the most honest, anti-war drama ever made.” - Mildred Martin, Philadelphia Inquirer
“Brilliant is the word, and no other, to describe the quality of skills that have gone into the making of this picture.” - Bosley Crowther, New York Times
Sunday, August 10, 12:00 p.m. & Saturday, August 30, 7:15 p.m. | At a sweltering WWII Japanese prison camp, British POWs, led by the principled Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness, in an Academy Award–winning performance), are forced to build a railway bridge in Burma, a project overseen by Colonel Saito (the singular Sessue Hayakawa). Nicholson sees the construction as a way to maintain morale; if Saito does not complete the bridge, his honor will be shattered. Both men become obsessed with the project. Meanwhile, Allied forces, led by the Navy Commander Shears (William Holden), an escapee of the camp, plan a mission to destroy the bridge. Set in the unforgiving jungle, where nature takes no pity on the folly of man, David Lean’s Academy Award winner for Best Picture is a masterful anti-war epic, a portrait of duty and pride, and a battle between three men with a stunning climax that will have you sweating in your seat.
Awards & Nominations
Winner - Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Alec Guinness), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Score
Nominee - Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Sessue Hayakawa)
Winner - Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Actor (Alec Guinness)
Scorchers | August 2–31, 2025
Hot enough for you? Welcome to the dog days of summer, when the temperatures reach their peak and it feels like you could fry an egg on the sidewalk. In Scorchers, we explore 10 films where stifling heat has a starring role. In these cinematic sizzlers, characters fan themselves and wipe their brows—and as the degrees rise, so do the stakes. When we’re stripped down, exhausted, and oppressed by an atmosphere warmer than our body temperature, things are bound to explode.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu