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The Bridge on the River Kwai - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
What have I done?
— Colonel Nicholson
Context:
Whispered at the bridge as the commandos' wiring is revealed and the train approaches.
Meaning:
The film's most haunting line, marking the moment Nicholson's 'fog of war' lifts and he realizes his pride has blinded him to his duty to his own country.
Madness! Madness!
— Major Clipton
Context:
The final line of the film, spoken as Clipton looks down at the dead bodies and the wreckage of the bridge.
Meaning:
The definitive verdict on the entire situation. It encapsulates the director's anti-war stance by framing the events as a collective insanity.
Be happy in your work.
— Colonel Saito
Context:
Part of Saito's initial speech to the newly arrived POWs.
Meaning:
A chillingly ironic sentiment that underscores the dehumanization of the prisoners into mere 'useful labor' for the Japanese machine.
How to die like a gentleman... when the only important thing is how to live like a human being.
— Commander Shears
Context:
Shears venting his frustration to Major Warden during their grueling trek through the jungle.
Meaning:
A critique of the rigid military codes of honor that prioritize ritualistic death over the value of human life.