The Bridge on the River Kwai Page #2

A living slave.

Queer bird. Even for an Ameri-

He's been in isolation too long,

poor chap.

Cut off from his unit.

It should be a lesson to all of us.

English prisoners!

Notice I do not say English soldiers.

From the moment you surrendered,

you ceased to be soldiers.

You will finish the bridge

by the twelfth day of May.

You will work under the direction

of a Japanese engineer.

Time is short. All men will work.

Your officers will work beside you.

This is only just...

...for it is they

who betrayed you by surrender.

Your shame is their dishonour.

It is they who told you...

...better to live like a coolie

then die like a hero.

It is they who brought you here,

not I.

Therefore, they will join you

in useful labour.

That is all.

Officer prisoners, collect your tools.

Bradley, back in your place.

I must call your attention,

Colonel Saito...

...to Article 27

of the Geneva Convention.

" Belligerents may employ

prisoners of war...

...who are fit,

other than officers-"

Give me the book.

By all means.

You read English, I take it?

- Do you read Japanese?

- I'm sorry, no.

If it's a matter of translation,

I'm sure it can be arranged.

You see, the Code states that-

Stand fast in the ranks.

You speak to me of Code?

What " Code"?

The coward's code!

What do you know

of the soldier's code?

Of bushido? Nothing!

You are unworthy of command!

If you refuse to abide by the laws

of the civilized world...

...we must consider ourselves

absolved from our duty to obey you.

My officers will not do manual labour.

We shall see.

All enlisted prisoners to work.

Sergeant Major! Take the men to work.

Battalion, take up tools.

Move to the left in columnar route.

Left turn!

"A" Company, by the right,

quick march.

Eyes right.

Eyes right.

Eyes front.

Quick march, eyes right.

" C" Company, by the right.

What's he up to?

Looks like he doesn't

want any witnesses.

Now, you will be reasonable.

You will order your officers to work.

No.

I will count three.

If by the third count...

...you and your officers

are not on the way to work...

...I will give the order to fire.

He's going to do it.

Believe me,

he's really going to do it.

One.

I warn you, Colonel...

Two.

Stop!

Colonel Saito,

I've seen and heard everything.

So has every man in the hospital.

They're too many witnesses.

You can't call it a mass escape.

Most of those men can't walk.

Is this your soldier's code?

Murdering unarmed men?

You see, Jennings, there are

advantages to being on the sick list.

I'll say this for the old man.

He's got guts.

" Into the valley of death

rode the 600."

How's that, sir?

That kind of guts.

Also the kind they had in 1914...

...when officers fought

with only a swagger stick.

- I see what you mean.

- You don't see what I mean at all.

The kind of guts

that can get us all killed.

Excuse me, sir,

I'd like to go along too.

Arm's almost healed, sir,

really it is.

What about him?

He didn't order us not to escape,

he suggested.

Listen, when a man like your colonel

suggests something, it's an order.

Here we go again.

Colonel Saito says all officers

to punishment hut.

Tell them to go.

Not you.

Come.

Leave him alone!

Leave him alone!

They're going to put him in the oven.

For he's a jolly good fellow

For he's a jolly good fellow...

For he's a jolly good fellow...

And so say all of us...

And so say all of us

And so say all of us...

For he's a jolly good fellow

For he's a jolly good fellow...

For he's a jolly good fellow...

And so say all of us...

Timber!

One, two, three, four.

One, two, three, four.

No, no, no!

Let go!

Let go!

You wish to see me?

I've tried to see you for three days.

It's about the colonel.

He's been shut up in that hut-

I could have you shot.

Those prisoners who tried to escape,

they were in your charge.

I knew nothing about the escape.

It does not matter.

One must respect those who tried.

For a brief moment,

between escape and death...

...they were soldiers again.

But it is insane to try and escape.

Two soldiers shot

and the third drowned.

To what end?

It was an escape from reality.

There is your reality.

This shows the position work

should have reached by noon today.

And this shows the position

of actual progress.

Because of your colonel's stubbornness,

we are far behind schedule.

That is not all.

Enlisted prisoners sabotaged the work.

Yes, I have seen it.

I could have them all shot.

Then who would build your bridge?

Besides, are you sure it's sabotage?

The men don't work well

without their own officers.

My officers will direct them.

Your officers will work beside them.

That's for Nicholson to decide.

As he said,

it's against the rules.

Do not speak to me of rules.

This is war!

This is not a game of cricket.

He's mad, your colonel...

...quite mad.

Sit down, please.

I have decided to allow you

one visit to your colonel.

Thank you.

Tell him that if his officers

will not work...

...I'll be forced

to close the hospital...

...and your patients will

work in their place.

Many will die,

and he will be responsible.

Go and speak to him.

You have five minutes.

Doc's going to see the old man.

Sir...

It's Clipton, sir.

I brought you a few things.

- How are the men?

- Fine, sir, fine.

We scraped together a little meat

and a coconut.

And the officers?

Not so good.

They're still in detention.

And Lieutenant Jennings...

Jennings is dead.

- What?

- Killed, attempting to escape.

Also two others,

Corporal Weaver and the American.

Jennings. Poor, brave lad.

I warned him, didn't I, Clipton?

Look, sir, we haven't much time.

I'm going to clean you up a little

while I talk.

I've got something to tell you.

I've just had a word with Saito.

That man is the worst commanding

officer I've ever come across.

Actually, I think he's mad.

Carry on.

Blackmail!

I know, sir, but he means it.

I'm sure he does.

It's a question of face, pure and

simple. And he can't give in.

It's still blackmail.

Sir, you can't stand

much more of this.

Wouldn't the officers be better off

working than suffocating in that hole?

The men are doing a wonderful job.

They're going as slow as they dare.

But Saito's cut their food rations...

...and if he makes

the sick men work...

Well, they're going to die.

That's all there is to it.

Yes, Clipton, I understand. Truly.

But don't you see?

It's a matter of principle.

If we give in now,

there'll be no end to it. No.

Sir, we're lost in the jungle,

a thousand miles from anywhere.

We're under a man who'll stop at

nothing to get his way. Principle!

No one will ever know or care

what happens to us.

Give in, sir. Please!

I'm adamant.

I will not have an officer

from my battalion working as a coolie.

- Time.

- All right.

Please thank those concerned.

Everybody in the hospital

contributed one piece.

Reynolds stole the coconut.

We'll be able to get you

food sometimes.

We've bribed one of your guards.

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