The story of The Bridge on the River Kwai is historical fiction, not a true story, though it is based on the real construction of the Burma–Siam Railway. The film and novel depict the suffering and forced labor of Allied POWs building the railway for the Japanese during World War II. While the film's events and characters are fictionalized, the bridge in the story was a real structure, and the events surrounding its construction and bombing during the war are a significant part of history. In the 1940s, Allied prisoners of war and Asian civilian laborers were forced to build a 255-mile railway through harsh jungle to connect Thailand and Burma. Workers suffered from torture, starvation, and disease, with a massive number dying during the 14-month construction period, leading to the railway's grim name. The iconic bridge itself was a real structure built by Allied POWs and is now a tourist attraction.