Brilliant, beautiful, poignant, touching

Rating: 10/10 (31 December 2005)

Empire of the Sun is such a terrific movie. It is a shame it never received the accolades it should have. I'll never understand why, even today, critics look down upon this film. It is truly brilliant.
The key to this entire film is the way the filmmakers framed the entirety of the Chinese wartime saga through the eyes of a British boy. The film is broad in scope, with sweeping vistas and immense crowd scenes. But the heart of the film is concentrated, focused, into the character of Jamie Graham, outstandingly played by young Christian Bale.
The writers really got into the head of this 12-year-old boy. This kid goes through so many changes, like all children do, and you're with him, every step of the way. They start him off as a spoiled brat, then suspend him in a state of shock as riots hit the streets of Shanghai. Then they put him on his own, where he makes safe yet foolish decisions. Then he becomes enamored with a less-than-savory role model. He moves through survivor to panderer and even has a touch of hormone-induced lust. Towards the end, he even investigates his own spirituality. All the while the effects of war rumble on around him.
The best of all war movies focus on a few, or even one, characters. It's so easy to wash away all the soul of a film by focusing on large battle sequences or broad vistas. By capturing the soul of the people caught up in war, you capture the soul of the war itself. Spielberg does this so brilliantly here, he has made a terrific film.
It's a shame others don't feel that way.
10 out of 10. A perennial favorite.
Barky