At the 30th Academy Awards in 1958, The Bridge on the River Kwai won seven awards, including best picture of 1957.
Its director, David Lean, and star Alec Guinness also received Oscars.
The Bridge on the River Kwai was based on the 1952 novel written by Pierre Boulle. Although the film depicted the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942–1943, the plot and characters of the novel and screenplay are almost entirely fictional. The cast included Alec Guinness, William Holden, Jack Hawkins, and Sessue Hayakawa.
Source: Wikipedia
I’ve watched it 5-6 times, and knowing the outcome doesn’t affect my enjoyment. David Lean also directed “Lawrence of Arabia”, “Passage to India” and “Doctor Zhivago”. Talent of this magnitude is rare.