Unbalanced Vision with Questionable cross cutting

Rating: 5/10 (3 January 2015)

First, while we all must stand in admiration of the extraordinary courage and perseverance of Louis Zamperini, the extent of the portrayal of torture in this film far exceeds what would be required to comprehend his experience. In some respects torture is like sex: if there is too much of it we have pornography. In that respect, though I am hardly a prude, one must wonder how this film ever got a PG-13 rating. For an adolescent moviegoer this movie could be overwhelming and a source of nightmares.
Second, the way the cross cutting is handled - with extensive use of flashbacks - the narrative sometimes suffers from what one might call "bottom spin". That would be the reverse of "top spin" where (just before a short TV commercial, for example) you are held in suspense for a brief period then brought back to the main action. Here, the suspense that might have been present is demolished by rather long flashback sequences.
The cinematography and the acting, on the other hand, are commendable, which is the only reason I can give this movie as much as a 5/10. For movies in this genre the Railwayman is far better.