Letters reveal misgivings over River Kwai film

IT IS regarded by many as one of the great British films of the 20th century.

But newly released documents reveal that the War Office had misgivings about the release of The Bridge on the River Kwai, believing the depiction of British prisoners co-operating with their Japanese captors “would not go down well with the public”.

The film failed to “authentically portray the behaviour and conduct of British officers”, the War Office said, and bore little relation to the truth.

The comments were made as part of correspondence with Sam Spiegel, the Hollywood producer, who was seeking RAF co-operation in making the film.

Set in a Japanese prisoner of war camp in Burma, it starred Alec Guinness as Lt Col Nicholson, and Sessue Hayakawa as the commandant Col Saito. The story was fictional, based on a novel by Pierre Boulle.

In a letter, Maj A G Close, working in the War Office’s PR department, wrote: “I do not think much of this story. In the first instance, it is quite untrue and only occasionally resembles the facts.

“I have, however, asked independent people to read the script and they agree with me that it would not go down well with the British public.”

The War Office eventually agreed to RAF co-operation, but said it was “not entirely happy about this film, which does contain certain inaccuracies”.

Others who disapproved of the film included Lt Gen Arthur Ernest Percival, who commanded British forces during the Malaya campaign and became chairman of the Far East Prisoners of War (Fepow) committee. Documents reveal he sought to prohibit the showing of the film in Britain.

The film was released in 1957 and went on to win seven Oscars.