The Bridge on the River Kwai Page #7

but that won't do it.

The officers are working?

I explained the situation and they

volunteered, but it's not enough.

Why not ask Saito for some men?

This is ours. We'll make the most

of our resources.

That's why I came to talk to you.

The sick list.

There's not a man in this hospital

who doesn't belong there.

It's no reflection on you, but

there are always a few malingerers.

Keep an open mind, that's all I ask.

Come along, let's see.

Don't move, don't move.

What's wrong with Haskins?

Amoebic dysentery and black

water fever. Temperature of 104.

Right. I see.

And this man?

Leg ulcers. I may be able to save it

if I do more cutting tonight.

Want to send him out to work?

Don't talk rot, Clipton.

That man there?

His arm's infected.

Most of their wounds

won't heal properly.

I wonder if fresh air and light duties

might do more than being cooped up.

- Light duties?

- It's not our policy to keep a man...

- ... Just because he scratched his arm.

- Not our policy?

A man may not be on top of his form,

but he can still be useful.

Trimmings and finishing jobs.

Stand easy, Baker.

Do you feel up to doing

a little light work on the bridge?

- Anything you say, sir.

- Good show.

You? Nothing difficult.

- I'll try, sir.

- Good man.

Look here, men. It goes without

saying that I'm proud of all of you.

But we're facing a crisis. For those

of you who feel up to it...

...how about lending us a hand?

Fetch and carry, paint here and there?

What do you say?

- Yes, sir.

- Good show. Come on, follow me.

Ten minutes.

Make sure they're all dead.

Come on, Joyce.

Use your knife

or we'll be shooting each other.

Go that way, Joyce.

I could have done it.

I was ready.

Are you hit, sir?

Let's go.

It's superficial. Maybe a chipped

bone, but nothing broken.

- It's my fault, sir.

- Oh, shut up.

I can walk on it.

That's all that counts.

Yeah, but how far and how fast?

We won't know that

till I've tried it, will we?

What are you doing?

I didn't give orders for a halt.

We all need it.

We're still five hours' fast march

from the objective.

Maybe six.

Come on.

If you keep walking,

you'll bleed to death.

- You're going to leave me here.

- If you stop, we stop.

You can't study the layout

of the bridge after dark.

You've got to get there

before sundown.

But, sir, when the job's done, who

knows if we can return by this route...

...or whether we could find you

if we did?

If you were me, I wouldn't hesitate

to leave you and you know that.

He doesn't know, but I do.

You'd leave your own mother here

if the rules called for it.

You'll go on without me.

That's an order.

You're in command now, Shears.

I won't obey that order.

Your heroics make me sick.

You carry the stench of death

like the plague.

Explosives and L-pills

go well together.

It's one thing or the other.

Destroy a bridge or destroy yourself.

This is just a game, this war.

You and that Colonel Nicholson.

You're crazy with courage. For what?

How to die like a gentleman,

how to die by the rules...

...when the only important thing

is how to live like a human being!

I'm not gonna leave you

here to die, Warden...

...because I don't care about

your bridge or about your rules.

If we go on, we go on together.

Good old Yai.

All right.

Come on.

Let's get closer.

Still sorry we brought you along?

- Feeling better?

- Yeah.

You're in command again, you know.

Thank you, major.

I can't understand it.

It's such a solid, well-designed job.

Not like the bridges

the enemy usually throws together.

Look.

Those poor devils down there.

Imagine being forced to build that

in the condition they must be in.

They've got a British officer

working on his knees.

The Japanese seem

to be enjoying it too.

If he knew we were here,

it might boost his morale.

If not for the train, we could

set a time fuse and be miles away.

Since we don't know

what time it'll cross tomorrow...

...we'll have to do the job manually.

We'll set the charges

against the piles...

...about three feet underwater,

I should think...

...and run the main wire

downstream to the plunger.

The problem is where to hide it.

Our side of the river is

obviously used by the Japanese.

They'd spot it at once.

Look. Do you see

those fallen tree trunks?

And the grey rock just below them

on that little beach?

- Yes, sir, I see them.

- That's our key position.

The wrong side of the river...

...but it's the only hiding place

within feasible distance.

As soon as the bridge goes up...

...whoever's there

will have to swim back.

It won't be a pleasant swim.

Sir, I was the best swimmer

in my course.

It looks like

your line of country, then.

Thank you.

Shears, pick a spot on our side

of the bank where you can cover Joyce.

Yai will be with you

so you can occupy the Nips...

...if they make trouble for Joyce.

On the theory that

there's always one more thing...

...I'll set up the mortar here

to create an additional diversion.

Perhaps I might even take

a few potshots at the train.

All clear?

Any questions? Right, you'll

start as soon as it's dark.

They're sure to have

sentries on the bridge...

...so you'll have to float

the stuff down from upriver...

...which means building a raft.

Yai.

Yai will take three women to help you.

One will stay here with me.

All right, get cracking!

You know, if it wasn't for my ankle,

I'd take Joyce's assignment.

You think he'll be all right?

I think so. Want me to handle it?

I'd let you stay up here

with the mortar if I could.

I'm sorry.

When it's over, I hope

you get that medical discharge...

...and not the hard way.

Thanks.

Load.

Beautiful.

Yes, beautiful.

A first-rate job.

I had no idea it would

turn out so well.

Yes, a beautiful creation.

I've been thinking...

Tomorrow it will be 28 years to

the day that I've been in the service.

Twenty-eight years in peace and war.

I haven't been at home more

than ten months in all that time.

Still, it's been a good life.

I love India.

I wouldn't have had it any other way.

But there are times...

Suddenly you realize you are

nearer the end than the beginning.

And you wonder...

You ask yourself...

...what the sum total

of your life represents...

...what difference your being there

at any time made to anything...

...or if it made any difference

at all, really.

Particularly in comparison

with other men's careers.

I don't know if that

kind of thinking's healthy...

...but I must admit I've had

some thoughts on those lines...

...from time to time.

But tonight...

Tonight...

Blast.

I must be off.

The men are preparing

some sort of entertainment.

Lovely.

If you were the only...

Girl in the world...

And you were the only boy...

Nothing else would matter...

In the world today...

We could go on loving...

In the same old way...

A Garden of Eden just made for two...

I'm sure I speak for all of us...

...when I say this has been

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