The Bridge of San Luis Rey
by Thornton Wilderliterary work· published 1927
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*The Bridge of San Luis Rey* (1927) tells the story of several unrelated people who happen to be on a bridge in Peru when it collapses, killing them. Philosophically, the book explores the problem of evil, or the question, of why unfortunate events occur to people who seem "innocent" or "undeserving". It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928, and in 1998 it was selected by the editorial board of the American Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of the twentieth century. The book was quoted by British Prime Minister Tony Blair during the memorial service for victims of the September 11 attacks in 2001. Since then its popularity has grown enormously.
Adaptations (3)
The Bridge of San Luis Rey has been adapted into 3 films, from 1929 to 2004.
The Bridge of San Luis Rey1929 · film · 86 min · dir. Charles Brabin · IMDb ↗IMDb7.2This first cinematic version of the classic book is a part-talkie, although the only surviving print is silent (housed in the George Eastman House, Rochester, NY). It is a straight-forward telling of the intermingled lives of a group of strangers doomed to die in a collapsing bridge accident. The Art Direction, paltry and unremarkable, surprisingly won an Oscar over the far more remarkable work nominated in THE IRON MASK. The special effect scene of the lovers plummeting with the bridge into the chasm is unforgettable and remarkably done.
The Bridge of San Luis Rey1944 · film · 107 min · dir. Rowland V. Lee · IMDb ↗IMDb5.5A rope bridge over a gorge in the Peruvian Andes snaps, sending five people plunging to their deaths. A priest sets out to find out more about the life of each of the victims.
The Bridge of San Luis Rey2004 · film · 120 min · dir. Mary McGuckian · IMDb ↗In 1714 Peru, a friar is tried by the Spanish Inquisition for questioning God's intentions when five die in the collapse of an Andean rope bridge.
