A modern classic

Rating: 10/10 (28 June 2012)

This is one of my all time favorite movies. There something about the idea of the story thats so appealing. Most stories about WWII are about battles. However, the two greatest movies about WWII, Casablanca and Empire of the Sun, go deeper into the personal trails of characters during a time when emotions and feelings were supposed to be on the back burner. The main character in this film is superb in showing what patriotism is all about. Hes English but has never been there and understands the Chinese (where he lives and grew up) better than his own people. Its a tale of the War that slipped through the cracks and never got told, the English that were trapped in China during WWII. I can see how this can be a little dry for some viewers but if you understand that this is a character study versus an action film it is a little easier to enjoy. Also, its strongly based on a true story with events that are spot on accurate. It is in my humble opinion the greatest "coming of age" movie ever made. Besides, when the producers of this movie are Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy and Robert Shapiro its a little hard to think this movie is a "miss". I don't think there is another movie in Hollywood that has ever had that powerful assembly of Producers, ever.