{"id":104079,"date":"2022-11-17T04:32:57","date_gmt":"2022-11-17T04:32:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=104079"},"modified":"2022-11-17T04:33:39","modified_gmt":"2022-11-17T04:33:39","slug":"kithulgala-iconic-location-of-the-gem-of-the-silver-screen-the-bridge-on-the-river-kwai-by-arundathie-abeysinghe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/kithulgala-iconic-location-of-the-gem-of-the-silver-screen-the-bridge-on-the-river-kwai-by-arundathie-abeysinghe\/","title":{"rendered":"Kithulgala – iconic location of the Gem of the Silver Screen \u201cThe Bridge on the River Kwai\u201d By Arundathie Abeysinghe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kithulgala – iconic location of the Gem of the Silver Screen <\/strong>\u201cThe Bridge on the River Kwai\u201d – <\/strong>By Arundathie Abeysinghe<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Bridge<\/p>\n

\"ArundathieHaving won seven Academy Awards, \u201cBridge on the River Kwai\u201d directed by British Film Director David Lean (Sir David Lean 1908-1991) was an epic war film shot in Ceylon in 1957 aided by Chandran Rutnam (Sri Lankan film maker and entrepreneur) who collaborated local links. Adapted from the 1952 novel by Pierre Boulle (that goes by the same name) the movie was filmed in *Kithulgala, in *Ratnapura District, perched on the western edge of Sri Lanka\u2019s Hill Country. A makeshift bridge was constructed over the *Kelani River for the movie, although, nothing remains at present, except the concrete foundations of the Bridge (as the railway bridge utilized in the movie was blown-up as part of the film sequel).<\/span><\/p>\n

The movie describes the tale of a group of Japanese war prisoners who were forced to construct a bridge over *River Kwai to link Bangkok and Rangoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Film stars William Holden (Hollywood’s most durable and engaging star), Alex Guinness (British) and Jack Hawkins (British) starred in the movie. Several villagers of Kithulgala too played roles in the movie.<\/span><\/p>\n

In March, 1958, \u201cThe Bridge on the River Kwai\u201d swept seven Academy Awards including the award for the \u201cBest Picture\u201d. The film was considered “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” and has been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress. The movie, exploring the lives of British prisoners of war (POWs) being held at a Japanese prison camp in Burma (present Myanmar) was filmed in Sri Lanka (former Ceylon) in Kithulgala, well-known for its rainforests and breathtaking vistas.<\/span><\/p>\n

The blockbuster movie \u201cBridge on the River Kwai\u201d became globally renowned and the hamlet Kithulgala well-known for its rainforests too became renowned worldwide. Currently, Kithulgala is globally renowned for adventure sports, especially *white-water rafting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although the movie has the historical setting of the construction of the Burma Railway during the period, 1942\u20131943, the plot and characters of Boulle’s novel including the screenplay are completely fictional based on some incidents that occurred during that period.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to locals, the Bridge that was utilized to shoot the movie during 1956-1957 had been dismantled once filming was concluded in order to protect the ecology of the environment. Although, Kelani River was a slower-moving waterway during the shooting of the film than at present, film director David Lean is said to have almost drowned when the river swept him away during a break (during filming).<\/span><\/p>\n

The fictional Bridge on the River Kwai (present Kanchanburi, Thailand) is a representation of an actual event during World War II when a British commando team was marshalled and trained in Ceylon to carry out a mission to destroy a strategic railway bridge constructed over River Kwai by the Japanese war machine in 1942\/43. Captured British, Dutch as well as American troops who were part of the labor force were utilized to construct the Bridge.<\/span><\/p>\n

The commando team assigned for this significant task had been trained in Ceylon, a former British colony which housed the headquarters of the British Headquarters for the *South-East Asian theatre headed by *Lord Mountbatten. Headquarters of the mission included military buildings on the banks of the *Mahaweli River at Peradeniya in Kandy which later became part of *University of Peradeniya.<\/span><\/p>\n

Residents of Kithulgala are appreciative about the shooting of an Oscar-winning movie in their home town and several residents have collected some souvenirs of the movie location. Chandralatha Jayawardena, a resident of Kithulgala, a child star who played a role in the movie has preserved mementoes from the film in her house.<\/span><\/p>\n

At present, the filming location of the movie is indicated by a discreet, rusted piece of metal on which directions to the location have been painted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Bridge<\/p>\n

Recently, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has considered installing a replica of the Bridge that was utilized in the film to promote interest in Kithulgala among local and foreign tourists in a bid to promote the location as a tourist attraction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Film buffs travel to Kithulgala to view the cinematic location. The bridge in Thailand (River Kwai Bridge) is also a popular location.<\/span><\/p>\n

During a visit to Kithulgala, tourists also indulge in adventure activities such as white-water rafting, trekking, bird watching and visiting archaeological sites such as *Beli lena.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tips:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Visit Kithulgala during the peak season of January to March, as the climate is cooler and has less rainfall.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is best to watch the movie first before visiting the location.<\/span><\/p>\n

Image courtesy: COLUMBIA PICTURES & sundayobserver.lk<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n