Empire of the Sun (1987)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers:

J.G. Ballard (novel)
Tom Stoppard (writer)

Release Date:

9 December 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

To survive in a world at war, he must find a strength greater than all the events that surround him.

Plot:

A young English boy struggles to survive under Japanese occupation during World War II.

Plot Keywords:

Japanese | Food | Japanese Army | Chinese | Shanghai

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Christian Bale	...	Jim 'Jamie' Graham
John Malkovich	...	Basie
Miranda Richardson	...	Mrs. Victor
Nigel Havers	...	Dr. Rawlins
Joe Pantoliano	...	Frank Demarest
Leslie Phillips	...	Maxton
Masatô Ibu	...	Sgt. Nagata
Emily Richard	...	Mary Graham, Jim's mother
Rupert Frazer	...	John Graham, Jim's father
Peter Gale	...	Mr. Victor
Takatoro Kataoka	...	Kamikaze Boy Pilot
Ben Stiller	...	Dainty
David Neidorf	...	Tiptree
Ralph Seymour	...	Cohen
Robert Stephens	...	Mr. Lockwood

Runtime:

153 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese | Mandarin

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Spain:T | Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | New Zealand:PG | Norway:11 (DVD rating) | Norway:15 (cinema release) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Hong Kong:IIA | Japan:U | Mexico:A | Netherlands:AL | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Sweden:11 | Taiwan:GP | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Brazil:Livre

Filming Locations:

Elstree Film Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Amblin Entertainment

Trivia:

Final film of Ralph Michael.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the truck leaves the hangar for the Suchow Internment camp, it does not have a frame for the rear covering. When they arrive at Suchow, the frame is clearly present.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: [title card] In 1941 China and Japan had been in a state of undeclared war for four years. A Japanese army of occupation was in control of much of the countryside and many towns and cities. In Shanghai thousands of Westerners, protected by the diplomatic security of the International Settlement, continued to live as they had lived since the British came here in the 19th century and built in the image of their own country...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Into the Breach: 'Saving Private Ryan' (1998) (V)

Soundtrack:

SWING IS IN THE AIR

Extraordinary film

Reading through the reviews, there were a lot of people who didn't understand this film. This is Spielberg's venture into the realm of art in cinematography. This film is a visual masterpiece and you are swept along from beginning to end. Yes, the tale gets a bit loose in spots and you never know what's going to happen next. But, if you're willing to give up warm and fuzzy for lush visual images and startling leaps of character, you'll see what Spielberg's trying to accomplish. This film makes use of the talents of Miranda Richardson and gives some early exposure to the likes of John Malkovich and Ben Stiller, but young Christian Bale steals the show. The reviewer that commented on the "gothic" effect of the Tai-Pan's going to the costume ball being driven through Shanghai was right on. This film is rife with such scenes and does not disappoint. It's wholly misleading to look for some kind of action story underlying this film. The tale, taken from the book, is straightforward enough: a young boy's boost into manhood through the second world war. The film is full of memorable moments and visually very, very pleasing. As art, it is excellent. That's likely why it wasn't a blockbuster, as say, e.g., Poltergeist, Close Encounters and the Jurassic Park films, were. But, hey. That's the cost of creating art as opposed to crap. And, crap does draw a lot of flies...