Fascinating! A great film from Spielberg!

Rating: 10/10 (17 May 2009)

A very young Christian Bale stars as Jim Graham in "Empire of the Sun". Based on the novel by J.G. Ballard, it is the story of an English boy struggling to survive under Japanese occupation in WWII. The cast of "Empire of the Sun" deliver extremely strong performances. A pleasant surprise can be found in the foreign languages spoken throughout the film— although I had no idea what was being said, I got a general impression thanks to the way the lines were said.
Christian Bale's character undergoes a drastic transformation due to his WWII experiences (but his dream of flying a plane remains consistent), and observing this transformation on screen is just amazing. Bale gives one of the best child actor performances in a film to date.
An interesting thing throughout "Empire of the Sun" is the portrayal of the Japanese. Their part in the war is rarely touched on in WWII movies— after all, Nazis and their persecution of Jews provides a more "interesting story". Although the Japanese are unmistakably "the enemy", at times one feels great empathy for them, particularly the kamikaze pilots Jim admires. One fascinating character is a (Chinese, I think) boy about Jim's age, who, too, dreams of flying. The difference between the two is this: the Chinese boy is free; he eventually joins with the Japanese as a pilot. The boy has practically no speaking interaction with Jim, and yet, the two characters are powerfully contrasted (I will avoid my bad habit of over-elaborating here).
John Williams composes yet another fascinating score. A Welsh lullaby (called "Suo Gan", according to Ian Freer in his book "The Complete Spielberg") features quite prominently in the music, and its use is perfectly timed. The first time it's used, it's just a hilarious opportunity to watch Christian Bale lip-sync the song (faltering every once in a while, which is practically inevitable). But its subsequent usage becomes extremely powerful, as one remembers just what kind of boy Jim was when he first sang it in the film. The music's haunting melody is something that will probably stay with the audience long after the film is done.
Call me biased if you like, but I really admire Spielberg's direction. "Empire of the Sun" is filled with heart-wrenching moments without launching into bathos. Spielberg makes some really clever directing choices. For instance, the first time we meet Basie (John Malkovich), who becomes something of a father figure to Jim, Spielberg doesn't show his face in full. It is always somewhat blocked by the shadows. Even when he goes out into the streets, he wears sunglasses, so we cannot see his eyes. This deliberate mysteriousness pays off, as it serves to spice up the audience's interest in this new character.
I won't really describe the plot (which, to be honest, is amazing), because this is a film not worth spoiling. This is a little treasure. "Empire of the Sun" just about flopped at the box office, and has become practically forgotten, but it is nonetheless one of Spielberg's best films— a great movie that I highly recommend.