a fine wine

Rating: 10/10 (1 May 1999)

Empire of the Sun is one of those movies that, if you are not paying attention, can be bitter or harsh after sampling. I compare the movie to a fine wine--it gets better with age.
When I first saw Empire of the Sun after it was released, I had mixed emotions leaving the theater. To me, the story seemed to flow flawlessly until the release of the prisoners from the prison camp. Then the story seemed to get muddled and confused, not knowing at the time that this is what Steven Spielberg was wanting to accomplish. For many years, I had a love-hate relationship with the movie; there were so many things I liked, but so many things I would have liked to have seen differently.
But Empire of the Sun is one of those movies that does get better with age. When I first saw the movie, I still pictured Spielberg's movies in a common theme--action-adventure (Jaws, Close Encounters, E.T., and the Indiana Jones movies). I kept this love-hate relationship with this movie until Spielberg started producing his more serious work (Schindler's List, Amistad and Saving Private Ryan). I now realize the genius that was Empire of the Sun, and I bet if the movie critics had a second look at this movie now, they would realize that this movie belongs on the short list of Spielberg's best movies. I am now proud to call it one of my favorite movies.
It is one of the most beautifully-filmed movies I have ever seen. Perhaps the reason this is Spielberg's most misunderstood movies is that the master storyteller lets the film and the music tell the story, and not necessarily by use of dialogue. While John Williams will be remembered for the musical scores of other Spielberg films (Jaws, Close Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark, even Schindler's List), this is truly John William's masterpiece that, in my opinion, even he has yet to top. Its as if Spielberg commissioned the music first, then filmed around the music. What is not said in the film is just as important as what is said.
Christian Bale gives the performance of a lifetime as Jim, the young boy who is separated from his parents after the Japanese take Shanghai during World War II, and the stories of his struggle for survival in a prison camp until the end of the war. To this day, I am still shocked that a 13-year-old could give such a commanding performance, acting toe-to-toe with the likes of John Malkovich, Nigel Havers and Miranda Richardson.
The story intentionally gets muddled about two-thirds of the way through the movie. But as the allied forces slowly inch their way to China, things are naturally going to get confusing, when the only goal of the characters is survival. This is one of those movies that you learn from each time you see it, until finally you learn enough to understand that this is exactly what Spielberg had in mind when he made this movie.
If you have not seen the film, or if you haven't seen it in a long time, I encourage you to rent the movie and enjoy it all over again. I could go on talking forever, but in summary, I believe that this years from now that Empire of the Sun will go down as one of Spielberg's best films. Enjoy.