rating:
(out of
4 stars)United States; 1987
Directed by Steven Spielberg; produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg; written by Tom Stoppard
Starring Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers, Joe Pantoliano, Ben Stiller
Below you will find a temporary review for this film. The real (better, more complete) review will be online very soon.
I was realizing a strange thing while watching 'Empire of the Sun': I was
watching a Steven Spielberg film I did not really enjoy in one way or
another. My main reason, although played as it should by a young Christian
Bale, was the main character Jim Graham. He was just too annoying. I guess
this is exactly how he's supposed to be, but for some reason I saw the
character in a different world than the the one where the story is set. That
is, by the way, in China during WW-II, where the boy is living a life in
luxury in an English environment.
The opening sequences show us Jim in this life, and these scenes are the
annoying ones that introduce the character. When Japan attacks Shanghai, the
city where they live, the boy is separated from his mother. This scene and
the following scenes where the boy is wondering alone through the city where
the character becomes even more annoying, with actions too much in the
story's convenience (the boy is separated from his mom because he grabs for
a dropped toy plane) and a performance that looks too directed.
Eventually Jim ends up in a Japanese camp, together with the American Basie
(John Malkovich in a pleasing performance). Here Jim becomes less annoying
and the film becomes better, admittedly, but those annoying moments kept on
the surface of my mind. Although a lot of scenes work perfectly, here I was
able to feel Spielberg, I did not really care anymore.
Still, many will like it, and if you are not annoyed by Bale's character you
must able to enjoy and even be amazed by his performance. There are other
things easily enjoyed here. The cinematography looks wonderful, although I
had the feeling it was not always to serve the story. As almost always, John
Williams was able to compose a score fitting the action tremendously. His
compositions become even more special since they are still beautiful without
a film playing before your eyes.
I did not like the film that much, but I could not get passed one character.
Most people can, I guess, and therefore I will not say you should avoid this
movie. There are reasons to see it, not really for me, but maybe for you.