The Bridge on the River Kwai

Continuity mistake: In the very beginning of the movie a Japanese prisoner train is being filmed from the roof view with a Japanese soldier at a machine gun with a tripod riding on the roof. The Japanese soldier has his legs resting up on a wooden pallet type platform. When the train car approaches a few seconds later toward British soldiers a working on the train track the Japanese soldier's legs are now on the train car roof and no wooden pallet structure is visible. (01:01:01)

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Suggested correction: There actually two Japanese guards on the train, one near the front of the flat car containing the POWs near the locomotive and one at the rear of the car. That's why they look different.

Continuity mistake: The commandos are in the river, at night and they are setting the charges on the bridge, the variety show is going on at the same time. Between the British soldiers heads and the roof of the auditorium, the Japanese soldiers are standing in bright sunlight.

Continuity mistake: When the commandos start placing the demolition charges, the roll of wire is a very bright white, but next morning the wire is black.

Jacob La Cour

Revealing mistake: When the bridge blows up, there are explosions on the bridge deck itself, but the charges were only set on the pillars below.

Jacob La Cour

More mistakes in The Bridge on the River Kwai

Colonel Nicholson: We can teach these barbarians a lesson in Western methods and efficiency that will put them to shame. We'll show them what the British soldier is capable of doing.

More quotes from The Bridge on the River Kwai
More trivia for The Bridge on the River Kwai

Question: When the commando teams drops their gear did the parachute fail to open, or could the equipment survive a drop from a plane at that height?

Answer: Depending on how it was packed most likely.

More questions & answers from The Bridge on the River Kwai

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