One of the many feathers in Steven Spielberg’s large cap is the World War II drama “Empire of the Sun.” This epic film tells the story of a young English boy living in Shanghai who gets separated from his parents and ends up as a prisoner of war in a Japanese internment camp. Great direction by Spielberg and a marvelous script from Tom Stoppard (adapted from the 1984 novel by J. G. Ballard) gives us a motion picture with even pacing, excellent character development, wonderful cinematography by Allen Daviau, and outstanding performances.
At the head of the cast is thirteen-year-old Christian Bale, who made quite an impressive big screen debut. His presence in the film was strong enough to carry its two-and-a-half hours from start to finish. Bale has since moved on to become one of Hollywood’s biggest names, especially famous for the role of Batman in the Dark Knight film trilogy of 2005, 2008, and 2012.
The supporting cast includes John Malkovich, Joe Pantoliano, Nigel Havers, Miranda Richardson, Ben Stiller, Rupert Frazer, Emily Richard, Paul McGann, Leslie Phillips, Robert Stephens, Masato Ibu, Guts Ishimatsu, and Takatoro Kataoka in a small but memorable role as the Kamikaze Boy Pilot. Kataoka later went on to play Emperor Hirohito opposite Tommy Lee Jones as Gen. Douglas MacArthur in “Emperor” (2012).
The very watchable “Empire of the Sun” had some success in theatrical release for producers Steven Spielberg, Kathy Kennedy, and Frank Marshall, Amblin Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Pictures. It was nominated for six Academy Awards: Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Original Music Score for John Williams.
Empire of the Sun (1987)
cinema
My Review
One of the many feathers in Steven Spielberg’s large cap is the World War II drama “Empire of the Sun.” This epic film tells the story of a young English boy living in Shanghai who gets separated from his parents and ends up as a prisoner of war in a Japanese internment camp. Great direction by Spielberg and a marvelous script from Tom Stoppard (adapted from the 1984 novel by J. G. Ballard) gives us a motion picture with even pacing, excellent character development, wonderful cinematography by Allen Daviau, and outstanding performances.
At the head of the cast is thirteen-year-old Christian Bale, who made quite an impressive big screen debut. His presence in the film was strong enough to carry its two-and-a-half hours from start to finish. Bale has since moved on to become one of Hollywood’s biggest names, especially famous for the role of Batman in the Dark Knight film trilogy of 2005, 2008, and 2012.
The supporting cast includes John Malkovich, Joe Pantoliano, Nigel Havers, Miranda Richardson, Ben Stiller, Rupert Frazer, Emily Richard, Paul McGann, Leslie Phillips, Robert Stephens, Masato Ibu, Guts Ishimatsu, and Takatoro Kataoka in a small but memorable role as the Kamikaze Boy Pilot. Kataoka later went on to play Emperor Hirohito opposite Tommy Lee Jones as Gen. Douglas MacArthur in “Emperor” (2012).
The very watchable “Empire of the Sun” had some success in theatrical release for producers Steven Spielberg, Kathy Kennedy, and Frank Marshall, Amblin Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Pictures. It was nominated for six Academy Awards: Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Original Music Score for John Williams.