Empire of the Sun
This movie by Steven Spielberg is a emotional coming-of-age story of a boy with origins from the aristocratic family. It's a semi-autobiography of the author of the novel of the same name, which depicts his accounts in world war II.
Jamie, the protagonist of the movie, is well portrayed as a child in an aristocratic family. Rich, and well guarded. Christian Bale displays his acting finesse even at a young age portraying the character's innocence curiosity towards everything around him. At the start of the movie, city he's living in, Shanghai, was shelled by the Japanese apropos, he got separated from his parents into a spell of temporal orphanage in the midst of a crowd. He was then deported to a Japanese internment camp, where he falls victim to the opportunistic Bassie.
While this movie possesses a solid enough script, it does lack narrative drive, sometimes leaving the audience a little behind the drama. It's not the typical movie, where there is a build-up, a climax, a solution, instead, it's a mature account on the development of the protagonist, his coming of age, his understanding towards the world. This movie is not the easiest to understand, it does leave me a little behind the effects, I only fully understood it the day after I watched.
This isn't a film one would really expect, themes like family, nemesis, love, respect, innocence all boils down to Jamie's coming of age. Bale acted his part out with superb accuracy for the characterization of Jamie. In the start of the movie, Jamie was innocent and curious, then about the middle, Bale portrays Jamie as someone who is starting to learn about the world. He is a strong and somewhat character in the movie, giving light to those he try to serve, except for the opportunistic Bassie. At the end, he comes of age, he understands the world, became friends with his enemies, and finally, escapes the hands of Bassie. The movie ends with a satisfying, warm, silent reunion with his family.
John Malkovich and Nigel Havers did excellent jobs in portraying the harsh realities of prison life. Malkovich acts as an opportunistic, egoistic man, who exploits Jamie's innocence and willpower on a few occasions. Havers was the true father figure to Jamie in the entire show, and brings to Jamie the realistic side of life. He is one of the characters who influenced Jamie most, and contributed greatly to his coming of age. Jamie contrasts with the realistic nature of the entire film. He does display idealistic thinking and behavior. However, he is a dynamic character who changes in this area.
Spielberg effectively used imagery to symbolize hope, determination, and defiance. Some example include the use of the color white, the atom bomb and simple words "I surrender". Sometimes the audience ends up trying to understand the nexus of these symbols and the entire story, but the result is very enriching.
Well, this movie is emotionally satisfying, but also great for the non-emotional, a movie strongly recommended. One of the best movies I've watched. Since it's the first time I reviewed a movie, my rating is the first also.
Script: 8.5/10Narrative drive: 6.75/10Acting: 9/10 (Malkovich was fine, Havers was better than fine, Bale was off the scale)Sound: 9/10Story: 17.75/20Directing: 18/20 (one of Spielberg's best i must say)Overall: 86%Labels: reviews
