Baleman begins (cinematheque)

Rating: 10/10 (27 March 2012)

I really like this movie for the same reasons that most people despise it: First, they say that Spielberg's choice to present wartime like a park game is inappropriate. Well, as the story is about a teen, I think that this angle is particularly accurate. When we were kids, we don't see the same world as adults and sometimes they can be joyful in the darkest hours. Next, they say that Williams score is too much. For me, this is one of his best score and he excels as much with the songs than with the music. How many score do you whistle leaving the theater? In conclusion, "Empire" is one of my favorite because with all this and more: emotion is everywhere and that's precisely what those critics ignore: at the end, the only question is how we feel? Here, i feel excellent, having touched the core of humanity as Jim touched the planes. And i can add more if you want: Bale is an extraordinary beginner and he really carries the picture all by himself. Then, we discover the world and the history of the Far East and it's cool to have a good epic nowadays. Again ? Well, Spielberg was particularly fit and inventive here because he really knew how to put together in the same frame, war, innocence, upper classes and people. If a lot of great directors have a favorite genre (Burton, Lynch), Spielberg is the only great with all: romance, SF, comedy, action.... Maybe people dislike the movie because they focus too much on Malkovich's character, which is indeed a very dark soul, completely driven by his self-seeking survival. He really haunts the movie and it's the black hole of this empire of the sun...
Pairing: "Schindler's list": another hopeful message from a war camp.