Sir Alec Guinness as Lt. Colonel Nicholson The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) Columbia Pictures. Directed by David Lean. Oscars (7): Best Picture, Director (Lean), Actor (Guinness), Screenplay, Cinematography, Music, Editing. With brilliant performances by Sessue Hayakawa and William Holden. Rotten Tomatoes: 94%. AFI 100 #13.