The great David Lean established himself as a master of epics with this grand adaptation of a novel by Pierre Boulle about British prisoners of World War II forced by the Japanese to build a railway between Thailand and Burma. Alec Guinness won the Academy Award for his portrayal of the lieutenant colonel who tries to raise the morale of the captured soldiers. Several noted filmmakers had passed on this project before Lean, previously known for smaller literary film adaptations of British classics, was offered the job. He rose to the challenge, making this the Best Picture of 1957 and winning the first of his two Best Director Oscars. — Jack Fields
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