A visual masterpiece, very moving and thought-provoking and Christian Bale is extraordinary

Rating: 10/10 (6 June 2011)

I do like a vast majority of Steven Spielberg's movies, and Empire of the Sun I feel is one of his best, alongside Schindler's List, ET, Jaws, Jurassic Park and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Spielberg's direction is superb, and there is a thoughtful script and very touching story. Empire of the Sun also has characters that I personally did care for, pacing that didn't feel too rushed and glacial and the acting from the likes of Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers and John Malkovich is truly terrific. Three assets especially stand out. Empire of the Sun like all of Spielberg's movies is a triumph when it comes to visuals, the cinematography, lighting, scenery and effects are all lovingly crafted. John Williams' score is also fantastic and enhances the drama, not his most iconic of his scores, that would be a three-way tie between Jaws, Schindler's List and ET, it serves its purpose very well. Lastly, Christian Bale is absolutely extraordinary in this film, I do like him very much as an actor, but I don't think I have ever seen him this powerful or poignant. Overall, a wonderful movie and one of my personal favourites from Spielberg. 10/10 Bethany Cox