It stays with you for a very long time....

Rating: 9/10 (26 October 2006)

I saw this film in the theater when it first came out, simply because I had family in China at the beginning of WW2 who would also wind up in one of the camps. The depths of the film really surprised me...the idea that a CHILD could produce this kind of emotion in a film astonished me. The transformation from Jamie to Jim is almost palpable, and you wind up wishing that you could take this kid home with you, after he finally loses the spoiled little boy routine. Christian Bale was simply remarkable. John Malkovich, as Basie, was simply doing what he does best; playing the strange, disjointed character that he seems to gravitate to. You want nothing more than to shoot Basie himself when Basie tries to "protect" Jim from the young Japanese pilot.
The film stays with you for a long time. I know that Spielberg didn't get the kind of reviews that he did for some of his other films (Schindler's List for example) but while it didn't have the same kind of impact as Schindler, it still was miraculous in its own way. You can almost smell the exhaust of the "Cadillacs of the Sky", you wince with the pain of the bamboo rod across your back when the doctor is beaten, and you can feel Jim's pain and confusion of finding his parents again, but not being sure if it is truly them. A very belated congratulations to Steven Spielberg, and most of all, to Christian Bale. Christian, as Jim, was more than anyone could expect, and something every actor, adult or child should aspire to.
You are welcome at my home for dinner any time.....