Empire of the Sun (1987)
Starring: Christian Bale, John Malkovich, and Miranda Richardson.
Plot: During World War II, a spoiled British boy named Jamie Graham lives in the Shanghai International Settlement with his parents. Everything seems to be going well for the family, when the Japanese forces suddenly take over the settlement. In the ensuing chaos, Jaime is quickly separated from his parents, eventually ending up in an internment camp with other former residents of the settlement. For the next few years, he must learn how to survive in this harsh new world, with the help of an American Sailor named Basie. Will he survive until the end of the war and reunite with his parents, or will he become one of the many casualties of the Second World War?
Good: Like The Color Purple, this film focuses on an element of a well known part of history that isn't as famous as some of the other elements. In this case, it focuses on the Japanese internment camps. That is, the internment camps in Japan that held British prisoners of war. This unique perspective makes the film much more interesting than if it covered territory the majority of the population knows about, such as the European side of the conflict. I found it interesting how Japan was putting Westerners in internment camps while the reverse was happening in the U.S. at the same point. However, unlike The Color Purple, all of the acting in this movie is great, especially young Christian Bale as Jamie. He does an excellent job of portraying the evolution of his character from a spoiled brat to a mature young adult. When you compare how Jamie acts in the begining of the movie to how he acts in the end, you can barely tell that what you're watching is the same character. If you're familiar with Bale as an adult, it might be a bit distracting to see him as a child, like it was for me. However I quickly got over it. John Malkovich also does a great job as the smooth talking Basie. At first his presence was a bit distracting, with his calmness and charisma in some situations being unrealistic, but his character grew on me as the film went on. The rest of the cast does a great job as well, with particularly memorable performances from Nigel Havers as the doctor in the camp and Miranda Richardson as a motherly figure toward Jaime in the camp. The production values are great, with sets and locations that look and feel like 1940s Japan. The music is once again done by John Williams, and while it might not be as memorable as some of his other works, it's still sounds great. It helps show the innocent wonder of a child while also adding some darker notes that show the despair of the prisoners. Also, it seems that Spielberg has learned his lesson about portraying Japanese people since 1941, with the people of Japan being portrayed in shades of grey, and not just as either the victims or the evil captors, but rather as just people.
Bad: While this film may have better pacing than The Color Purple, it still drags at points, especially during the middle of the film. The fact that these scenes all happen in the same brown, dull landscape doesn't help. Also, the movie ends fairly abruptly, so we don't get to see Jaime adjusting to life after all these experiences, which was a missed opportunity.
Trivia:
- Ben Stiller has a small role as one of the American prisoners, and he apparently came up with the idea for Tropic Thunder while on the set.
- The scenes in the internment camp were severely cut down, with some roles being reduced to minor characters.
- Eric Flynn, who played one of the prisoners in the camp, was an actual prisoner in a Japanese camp as a child.
Final Verdict: This film is absolutely amazing. Even thought it does have a few hiccups here and there, it still has great production, writing, and most of all, acting. If you're into history, especially World War II, and you want to see a different side of this interesting conflict, then this is the perfect movie for you. I also recommend this to anyone who's looking for a great historical drama, or if you enjoy Spielberg's dramas.
Next time, we'll see Indy once again battle Nazis, but this time he's after something a bit more closer to home. It's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
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