Bridge on the River Kwai

The Bridge on the River Kwai, one of the greatest films ever made, is given the appropriate reverential treatment by Columbia TriStar on the two-disc DVD of director David Lean's World War II prisoner of war epic that netted seven Oscars. For a film nearly half a century old, the transfer on the first disc is absolutely gorgeous. The jungle colors pop out so vividly it seems like the film was shot yesterday. The movie is presented in a special widescreen version that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. As for the soundtrack, the jungle never sounded so good; the soundtrack has been remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Disc one also contains an isolated musical score and special DVD-ROM components. The second disc is nothing but special features, including a making-of documentary, a period feature about the making of the film, and a short film narrated by star William Holden that compares and contrasts movies with novels. A photo gallery, talent files, and an homage by filmmaker John Milius completes disc two. A collectible booklet accompanies the double-disc set.