Factual error: The opening credits incorrectly list Alec's last name as "Guiness." It's "Guinness." [This is only in certain prints of the film. In other prints, his name is spelled correctly.]

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Plot summary
Directed by: David Lean
Starring: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa
British WW2 prisoners of war are given the task, by their Japanese captors, of building a railway bridge in a harsh Asian jungle. Led by Col. Nicholson (Guinness), a stereotypical British officer, the prisoners score a moral victory over the Japanese by not only building the bridge, but running the whole show. Unknown to Nicholson, an allied demolition team are planning a spectacular opening for the bridge.
Colonel Saito: A word to you about escape. There is no barbed wire. No stockade. No watchtower. They are not necessary. We are an island in the jungle. Escape is impossible. You would die.
Trivia: Sir Alec Guinness won his only Oscar for his role as Colonel Nicholson in this movie.
Question: When the commando teams drops their gear did the parachute fail to open, or could the equipment survive a drop from a plane at that height?





Answer: Depending on how it was packed most likely.