Synopsis: Precocious British lad goes away to camp...for a long time.
Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “Steven Spielberg’s first film as a director since The Color Purple is an inspiring, action-packed epic of a small boy in a great way. That boy is Jim Graham, a young Briton whose unconquerable spirit soars high and free above the harsh confines of a Japanese internment camp.”
What Did I Learn?: Japanese Air Force sentries don’t like it much when POWs attempt to hug the combat aircraft they’re guarding.
You Might Like This Movie If: You’ve always admired Christian Bale’s professionalism, and dedication to the art of filmmaking.
Really?: I had a little trouble believing Graham (Christian Bale) would still idolize the Japanese Air Force after four years in a hellhole, or that his fellow survivors would appreciate him carrying around a toy Zero airplane.
Rating: Visually stunning, Empire of the Sun is a masterpiece. My only complaint would be a few scenes that were cringe-inducing (Graham watching an older British couple having sex, or Graham applying CPR to a dead Japanese soldier he had befriended as he repeats: “I can bring everyone back!”) and went on far too long. 9/10 stars.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092965/
Agreed about it going on too long, plus I never got how he forgot what his parents looked like.
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