The Bridge on the River Kwai

Release Date: 14 December 1957 (USA) Awards: on 7 !"car"

The year: 1943. INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS:: Gates shall close by 1.20 !. Gates o"ce close# $%ll "ot be o&e"e#. There $%ll be a brea' o( 1) !%"s at hal( le"*th o( the +o,%e.

REVIEW OF MOVIE:: The &lace: -a&a"ese &r%so"er.o(.$ar ca+& %" /0r+a. I" the sett%"* o( 1orl# 1ar II2 a #e(eate# 0"%t /r%t%sh Sol#%ers %s +arche# %"to a -a&a"ese &r%so" ca+& %" $ester" Tha%la"#2 $%th the &0r&ose o( co"str0ct%"* a br%#*e o,er the R%,er 3$a% to carry a "e$ ra%l$ay l%"e to %",a#e /0r+a. The ca+& %s r0" by a #0t%(0l co++a"#a"t Colo"el Sa%to a"# h%s +e". The /r%t%sh troo& %s le# by a st%((.l%&&e# Colo"el N%cholso". N%cholso" %s h%*hly re,ere# by h%s +e"2 he %s the%r (r%e"# a"# co"(%#a"t4 he ca" #o the+ "o $ro"*.

So be*%"s the class%c 1orl# 1ar II +o,%e The /r%#*e o" the R%,er 3$a%. I" the 50*0st o( 2009 #0r%"* a h0+%# S0"#ay a(ter"oo" $e ha&&e"e# to st0+ble 0&o" th%s E"*l%sh class%c. I &res0+e# %t to be 60st a"other ,%"ta*e $ar +o,%e. 7o$e,er2 o" care(0l %"s&ect%o"2 %t beca+e a" e8celle"t treat%se (or 0"#ersta"#%"* ,ar%o0s (or+s o( 9lea#ersh%&9 &ara#%*+s2 $h%ch are "ot o"ly 0se(0l %" the 5r+y b0t ca" be eas%ly obser,e# %" co"te+&orary cor&orate $orl#. It %s o"e o( those (e$ $ar +o,%es $h%ch (oc0s +ore o" b0%l#%"* %ts characters rather tha" the $ar %tsel(. It &ortrays t$o ,ery #%((ere"t lea#ersh%& styles2 $h%ch are %"te"sely &ortraye# by %ts characters Colo"el N%cholso" a"# Colo"el Sa%to. The +o,%e starts $%th #%((ere"ce o( o&%"%o" a"# clashes o( e*o bet$ee" the t$o lea#s. Sa%to %s &ers%ste"t that all +e" sho0l# $or' %rres&ect%,e o( ca#re2 $h%le N%cholso" be%"* a str%ct #%sc%&l%"ar%a" %"s%sts that he a"# h%s o((%cers are "ot s0&&ose# to e"*a*e %" +a"0al labor.

Colo"el Sa%to2 e8h%b%ts a #%rect%,e style o( lea#ersh%&2 co++a"#%"* a"# lea#%"* (ro+ the (ro"t2 (orc%"* E"*l%sh o((%cers to $or' bes%#e the%r +e"2 ta'%"* the co"trol %" h%s o$" ha"#s $he" h%s E"*%"eer (a%ls to #el%,er res0lts. O" the other ha"# Colo"el N%cholso" acts as a" %"#%rect %"(l0e"cer by re(0s%"* to s0cc0+b to the #e+a"#s o( the -a&a"ese. To the "a'e# eye h%s re(0sal to $or' alo"*s%#e h%s +a" +ay see+ r%#%c0lo0s2 b0t h%s not giving in ser,es as a" %"s&%rat%o" to h%s +e". I" the (ollo$%"* &ara*ra&hs $e ha,e tr%e# to (0rther a"aly:e the lea# character o( Colo"el N%cholso" (ro+ lea#ersh%& &ers&ect%,e a"# %ts res0lt (or the %"#%,%#0al a"# ;OR T7E ORG5NI<5TION. 5ccor#%"* to 0s o"e o( the +ost %+&orta"t lesso"s that ca" be lear"t (ro+ th%s +o,%e %s When execution takes priority over strategy, the results can't help being catastrophic. 5 lea#er %s "e,er a lo0# or a boast(0l &erso"2 +ost o( the t%+es he %s cal+ a"# a s$%(t tal'er. 5 =ea#er %s able to co&e $%th +yr%a# o( &ress0res a"# has the stre"*th a"# co0ra*e to ta'e #ec%s%o"s a"# to *0%#e h%s tea+ o0t o( cr%s%s s%t0at%o"s2 he has the ab%l%ty to %"(l0e"ce a"# +ot%,ate h%s &eo&le to #el%,er the%r best e,e" %" tro0ble# t%+es. 5 lea#er "ee#s to &lay the role o( a "e*ot%ator2 a strate*%st2 a +a"a*er2 a"# a" e8ec0t%o"er. 7e al$ays tr%es to 'ee& a$ay h%s te+&tat%o"s a"# to +a%"ta%" e>0%l%br%0+ bet$ee" the role &lays. 5s ?/e"t ;ly,b6er*@ &o%"te# o0t %" ?!a'%"* Soc%al Sc%e"ce !atter@2 a lea#er sho0l# "ot hes%tate to as' >0est%o"s to h%s tea+ a"# to h%+ A1here are $e *o%"*BC A1ho *a%"s2 $ho loses2 a"# by $h%ch +echa"%s+s o( &o$erBC AIs th%s #e,elo&+e"t #es%rableBC A1hat sho0l# $e #o abo0t %tBC. Thro0*ho0t the +o,%e Colo"el N%cholso" &rese"ts h%+sel( as a co"trolle# DE8ce&t (or the last &art $here he 60+&s o" the #y"a+%te to sa,e the br%#*e2 h%s &r%#eE2 or*a"%:e# a"# res0lt or%e"te# lea#er. 7e 0t%l%:e#2 to &er(ect%o"2 The 7ea# a"# The 7a"# co.or#%"at%o"2 7ea# be%"* the %"tellect0al &art $h%le ha"# be%"* the e8&er%e"ce a+asse# thro0*h years o( +a%"ta%"%"* /r%t%sh E+&%re. 7e sho$e# the e8e+&lary >0al%t%es o( a lea#er by (oc0s%"* o" the &eo&le2 by %"s&%r%"* the+2 %"(l0e"c%"* the+2 by +ot%,at%"* the+2 by sett%"* the #%rect%o" a"# creat%"* a ,%s%o" (or h%s tea+. 7e a"# h%s tea+ $ere able to co+&lete the %"s0r+o0"table tas' o( b0%l#%"* the br%#*e %" sche#0le# t%+e. /0t h%s o,erbear%"* &r%#e +a#e h%+ obl%,%o0s to the e"# res0lt a"# thro0*ho0t the co0rse he (or*ot to as' h%+sel( the +ost %+&orta"t >0est%o" ?1as all that (or h%s o$" &erso"al se"se o( ach%e,e+e"t or (or the better *oo# o( the soc%ety to $h%ch he %s ab%#e# by the la$@. /y s0ccess(0lly b0%l#%"* the br%#*e2 o" o"e ha"# he 0&l%(te# the +oo# o( h%s +e" (ro+ the (eel%"* o( be%"* &r%so"ers b0t o" the other ha"# he stre"*the"e# the s0&&ly cha%" o( the e"e+y a"# th0s #e,elo&e# a catastro&h%c o0tco+e (ro+ the strate*y &o%"t o( ,%e$. I( $e re(er to h%stor%cal "otes a"# a&&ly the theory o( $%s#o+ by class%c Gree' &h%loso&her2 5r%stotle2 to the Colo"el N%cholso"@s character the" $e $o0l# e8&er%e"ce so+e %"terest%"* %"s%*hts. Theory o( $%s#o+ %s broa#ly class%(%e# %" t$o theor%es2 Theoret%cal $%s#o+ a"# ract%cal $%s#o+. 5 lea#er sho0l# &ossess both the theoret%cal $%s#o+ as $ell as the &ract%cal $%s#o+. Theoret%cal $%s#o+ DGree': So&h%aE2 as e8&la%"e# by 5r%stotle #eals $%th the sc%e"t%(%c '"o$ ho$ o( th%"*s. It #eals $%th the '"o$le#*e &art o( a" %"#%,%#0al a"# &lays a" e8tre+ely %+&orta"t role %" the s0ccess o( a lea#er. Colo"el N%cholso"2 $%th all h%s e8&er%e"ce a"# ra"' 0"#er h%s belt $as (ore+ost %" h%s '"o$le#*e a"# the res0lts also sho$e# that "o o"e ca" >0est%o" h%s ab%l%ty to #r%,e a &ro6ect o( s0ch a +a*"%t0#e 0"#er tre+e"#o0s &ress0re a"# #rast%c c%rc0+sta"ces. Fet o"e +ay as' $hether the *oal that $as ach%e,e# $as -0stB

Ca" the lea#ersh%& o( Colo"el N%cholso" be cate*or%:e# as 1%seB O"e ca" ha,e clear a"s$ers to these >0est%o"s %( o"e %s a$are abo0t the E8&l%c%t a"# Tac%t '"o$le#*e2 ter+s co%"e# by ro(. Ta'e0ch%. So+et%+es lea#ers try to rely o" e8&l%c%t '"o$le#*e as %t %s both +eas0rable a"# >0a"t%(%able. The &roble+ $%th th%s a&&roach %s that s0ch lea#ers are "ot (ree to acce&t cha"*e. It ass0+es a $orl# %"#e&e"#e"t o( co"te8t a"# see's a"s$ers that are 0"%,ersal a"# &re#%ct%,e. 7o$e,er e,ery s%t0at%o" %s co"te8t #e&e"#e"t2 a"# a"aly:%"* the+ %s +ea"%"*less 0"less yo0 co"s%#er &eo&le@s *oals2 ,al0es2 a"# %"terests alo"* $%th the &o$er relat%o"sh%&s a+o"* the+. Th%s %s $here the 5r%stotle co+es %" &lace. ract%cal $%s#o+ DGree': hro"es%sE2 as e8&la%"e# by 5r%stotle %s ?a tr0e a"# reaso"e# state o( ca&ac%ty to act $%th re*ar# to the th%"*s that are *oo# or ba# (or +a"@. 5ltho0*h ract%cal $%s#o+ #e&e"#s o" Theoret%cal $%s#o+ to $or' as o"e sho0l# ha,e s0((%c%e"t '"o$le#*e o( *oo# a"# ba#2 %t also a##s the ca&ac%ty to act o" s0ch '"o$le#*e. Colo"el N%cholso" $as stro"* o" Theoret%cal $%s#o+ b0t $as he e>0ally co+&et%t%,e o" ract%cal $%s#o+B 1as h%s strate*y correct $he" %t ca+e to b0%l#%"* the br%#*e (or the e"e+yB 1as h%s reaso" &re60#%ce# a"# *o,er"e# by &r%#eB %" %t. ract%cal $%s#o+ e"ables 0s to +a'e a cho%ce %" a &art%c0lar s%t0at%o". It calls "ot o"ly to 0"#ersta"# the s%t0at%o" b0t also to act $ell ract%cal $%s#o+ (oc0ses o" three +a%" %"s%*hts2 (%rst2 0"#ersta"#%"* to 60#*e *oo# (ro+ ba#2 seco"#2 ca&ac%ty to act %" a &art%c0lar s%t0at%o"2 th%r#2 the %"#0l*e"ce o( ,%rt0e2 the >0al%ty o( #o%"* $hat %s r%*ht a"# a,o%#%"* $hat %s $ro"*. 5s yo0 ca"@t tell $hether the 'ettle %s hot or col# $%tho0t to0ch%"* %t2 s%+%larly e8&er%e"ces %" l%(e. The &ract%cal '"o$le#*e o( $hat %s the r%*ht t%+e2 ob6ects2 &eo&le2 +ot%,e2 a"# $ay (or certa%" e+ot%o"s or cho%ces2 %s the start o( the 6o0r"ey to be a s0ccess(0l lea#er. ract%cal $%s#o+ ca"@t be ta0*ht b0t ca" o"ly be lear"t thro0*h ,ar%o0s ract%cal 1%s#o+ o(