Directed by David Lean • 1957 • United Kingdom
Starring William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins
A highly principled British colonel (Alec Guinness) becomes obsessed with leading a band of World War II POWs to build a bridge at the behest of their Japanese captors in Burma—setting up an explosive ethical conflict as Allied commandos embark on a mission to destroy the structure. Spectacularly produced and morally nuanced, David Lean’s gripping, thought-provoking World War II drama established the director as a master of the intelligent screen epic and won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Guinness), and Best Director.
Up Next in Classic Hollywood
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Lilith
Directed by Robert Rossen • 1964 • United States
Starring Warren Beatty, Jean Seberg, Peter FondaThe final film directed by Robert Rossen (THE HUSTLER) is a fascinating anomaly: a psychodrama influenced by European art cinema and awash in a mood of otherworldly mystery. Upon returning to his sm...
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A Raisin in the Sun
Directed by Daniel Petrie • 1961 • United States
Starring Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil, Ruby DeeLorraine Hansberry’s immortal “A Raisin in the Sun” was the first play by a black woman to be performed on Broadway. Two years later, the production came to the screen, directed by Daniel Petrie. T...
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The Manchurian Candidate
Directed by John Frankenheimer • 1962 • United States
Starring Frank Sinatra, Angela Lansbury, Laurence HarveyThe name John Frankenheimer became forever synonymous with heart-in-the-throat filmmaking when this quintessential sixties political thriller was released. Set in the early fifties, ...
