The Bridge on the River Kwai examines the motivations of men held in captivity during World War II. When a new group of British soldiers comes to the POW camp, their leader Colonel Nicholson refuses to be treated with anything less than the respect he deserves as an officer. Col. Saito, who is in charge of the camp, finally gives in to Nicholson, and the British begin working on Saito's project - a new bridge. Nicholson insists that they finish on time so that Saito doesn't kill them before committing suicide, and he wants them to take pride in their work and do the best possible job.

At the same time, the British military is planning to destroy the bridge. One man, Shears, has escaped the camp, and he is forced to lead the mission back to the area. When Nicholson finds out about the plot, as the...