Films/DVD Asylum

"The Bridge on the River Kwai"

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rico

(A)

The restored version on DVD is a marvel and is the best video presentation yet of Davis Lean's masterpiece. The use of the wide screen is wonderful, and the DVD has a remastered 5.1 soundtrack that makes effective use of surround sound, particularly in the jungle sequnces.
The bird imagery neatly separates the acts. As I've posted before the lighting during the munitions planting is finally done right. The sequence of Guiness and Hayakawa discovering the wire with the train sounds distant and coming closer is one of the great supense moments in cinema. And the medical officer's closing words, "Madness! Madness!" are referenced in other anti-war films like "Apocolypse Now' ("The Horror. The Horror").
I am riveted every time I see this.

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Re: "The Bridge on the River Kwai" - Dmitry 10:37:00 05/27/04 (2)
--And the medical officer's closing words, "Madness! Madness!" are referenced in other anti-war films like "Apocolypse Now' ("The Horror. The Horror")

"The Horror...The Horror" is referenced from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, much like the whole plot of the film.
"He cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision - he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath - "The horror! The Horror!"
- Re: Yes - rico 10:55:25 05/27/04 (1)
  As pointed out by thegage below.
  - Oops. - Dmitry 10:59:13 05/27/04 (0)
    I should've done my due diligence.
    Nice book, btw, the Heart of Darkness. Like all Conrad's books, I guess.
Re: "The Bridge on the River Kwai" - thegage 09:35:06 05/24/04 (1)
Agree on the wonderful aspects of Bridge, though I would think that the line "madness, madness" actually references (pre-references?) Apocalypse since the book Apocalypse was based on, Heart of Darkness, was published long before Bridge was made, and the line is from the book.
John K.
- Re: Good Point - rico 11:36:30 05/24/04 (0)
  Thanks. I have always been intrigued by Orson Welles' abortive attempt at "Heart of Darkness" and wonder what he would have wought had he proceeded.
  I assume you have seen Eleanor Coppola's magnificent documntary
  on the making of A/N called "Hearts of Darkness". A must see if you haven't.

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