bridge on the river kwai

i understand that movies are often about much more than good music, good clothes, good laughs and good looks, but its hard for me to stay interested if the film im watching doesnt have one -- preferably all -- of these qualities. good looks doesnt even have to be good looking people..but at least something aesthetically pleasing or artistic in some way. and this being my criteria for enjoying a movie, it is rare that i find one i am genuinely entertained by.
the bridge on the river kwai holds true to my claim. i had to watch it for my sociology class-- and sure it won 7 academy awards in 1957, but it was a struggle for me. a struggle to keep my eyes open, a struggle to find anything enjoyable about it at all. the soundtrack is virtually nonexistent, the dialogue is few and far between, the setting rarely changes, and, importantly, neither does the wardrobe.
the majority of the film features sweaty, dirty old men in ripped khaki uniforms. but then one lovely scene comes along and displays a prison escapee on the beaches of hawaii with some blonde beauty and my attention was grasped for a moment. that bathing suit! so classy, so retro -- so hot, so fresh.