Coming Of Age in Perilous Times

Rating: 9/10 (20 July 2004)

Meet Jaime (Christian Bale) an English boy, 13 year old son of a British Tai Pan growing up in the British zone in Singapore on the eve of the outbreak of WW II in the Pacific theatre. The British are showing a stiff upper lip. They've even dressed up for an early Christmas party at the country club. Just out of sight the Japanese are nerved up readying themselves for war.
In the confusion of the Japanese incursion on the British concession in Singapore Jaime becomes separated from his parents and is separately interned with British and American civilians.
In the movie version his substitute father is the American comparador
Basie (John Malkovich). Jaime becomes the adopted American Jim. And the American barracks are a tale of two cities. Where the English preserve the pretenses to an affected gentiility in soiled clothes and dire circumstances, the Americans make a big joke of it all. The American barracks are one big party. Even the raid by the USAAF on the nearby airstrip is like a wild cowboy and indian attack.
The American promises to run away with Jim. Will he?
The movie enlarges the role of the American Bassie from the book version at the expense of the Japanese substitute father Jim acquires. The movie version does more graphically display the death of innocence. How? see the movie!