A slightly different war epic (only slightly)

Rating: 9/10 (13 August 2003)

When I first saw this film I was about the same age as Christian Bale's character. Now seeing it again after 16 years, I have a newly found appreciation for this epic.
Plot: A Chinese born boy of English blood is thrown in to Japanese occupation during WWII. We witness him mature and grow rapidly as he tries to survive and understands the burdens of war. Then John Malkovich happens
Many WWII movies focus on what happened in Europe and it's refreshing to indulge in an entirely different struggle as a backdrop. Christian Bale's performance is amazing, I had no idea til now that this was the same guy who gets cast in evil roles in such films as 'Shaft' and 'American Pyscho'. What really holds weight with this movie is the camera shots, some of the best Spielberg ever directed. Much of the movie relies on unspoken scenes which really gives the audience a break from mouthy actors distracting you from the overall concept.
Bottom Line: This is a good rainy day movie, it is not jam packed with action, though the action scenes are quite moving. All the elements are equally balanced giving you a feeling of completeness when it is over. Coming of age during times of war has to be the heardest thing for a child, let's hope Bush doesn't bring that burden on our future generation.