MPAA Rating: PG/Genre: Epic Coming-of-Age War Drama/Stars: Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers, Joe Pantoliano, Leslie Phillips, Masatō Ibu, Emily Richard, Rupert Frazer, Peter Gale, Takatarō Kataoka, Ben Stiller, Robert Stephens, Guts Ishimatsu, Burt Kwouk, Paul McGann, Marc de Jonge, Eric Flynn, James Greene, Paula Hamilton, Tony Boncza, Peter Copley/Runtime: 154 minutes
It might come as a shock to learn this, but with the rare exception of a filmography contributed by an actor in the vein of someone like the late John Cazale aside, it is not always possible for a helmer or actor operating in the land of movie magic to consistently score a home run with either the critics, the general movie going public, or both every time they decide to sign on that proverbial dotted line and conjure up a slice of cinema for our distinct enjoyment and/or analysis (Heck even acting legend Daniel Day-Lewis has the movie Nine on his otherwise stellar resume). In fact, what is more common is that a director or actor can have a pretty solid cinematic batting average so to speak, but there are times where rather than knocking out of the park they have to “settle” for either a triple or grand slam. As a result, what unfortunately then happens is that we as moviegoers become so fixated on the home runs that we then sadly tend to forget about those respective entries despite the fact that they can quite often be incredibly solid slices of cinema. Indeed, among the numerous examples that I feel fit this category, we see that Scorsese has Silence and After Hours, De Palma has Body Double, Tom Cruise has American Made and The Last Samurai, John Carpenter has In the Mouth of Madness, and Clint Eastwood has Space Cowboys and Tightrope. The reason I bring this up to you today dear reader is because sadly even filmmaking legend Steven Spielberg is not immune from this particular cinematic ailment. To be sure, the man has given audiences across the planet some of the most iconic films of the past 5-6 decades including Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a little movie called Jurassic Park, and Saving Private Ryan to name but a few examples. At the same time though, there is also no denying that the man also has more than a few movies to his name that sadly for whatever reason didn’t resonate on the level that they should have with either of the respective categories I previously mentioned. Yet besides Hook, 1941 and, the first cinematic take on The Color Purple from 1985 among others respectively there is another one which I definitely think is worth both your time and attention despite mixed reviews and not exactly setting the box office ablaze when it was first released. That being the 1987 slice of cinema, and film I happen to be reviewing for you today incidentally, Empire of the Sun. To be sure, it is not a flawless film and there are points where it can be a bit slow to sit through, but with the aid of powerful work on both sides of the camera, Empire of the Sun is still a gripping look at the chaos of World War 2 through a perspective not many films have chosen to capture either before or since.
The plot is as follows: An adaptation of the semi-biographical novel of the same name by J.G. Ballard, Empire of the Sun takes us back to the time and place of Shanghai, China in the long-ago year of 1941. It is here where we quickly meet our precocious young hero in the shape and form of one Jamie Graham. A more than slightly spoiled young boy who, among other things worth knowing about him, is a member of the British upper middle class who, alongside his parents and the other Westerners residing in Shanghai at this distinct time in world history, spends his days being pampered, sheltered, and ultimately protected by the veil of diplomatic security from the outside world in what was known at that time as the Shanghai International Settlement. As good as life has been for our young Mr. Graham to say nothing of the occupants within the rest of the Settlement however, we see that, unbeknownst to his rather limited and distinctly privileged worldview, things are swiftly changing in the world around him and not in a good way. A fact that soon comes violently crashing into his life courtesy of first the vicious attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on December 7th of 1941 and then followed up horrifically quickly by other Japanese forces making their way into China where they proceed to take over Shanghai, the Settlement, and all the property contained therein thus causing those who are still living there to panic (rightfully so) and proceed to desperately do whatever they can to get out of dodge post haste so they don’t run the risk of getting caught and incurring the wrath of the Japanese Army. As bad as this situation already is though, it isn’t long before things go from bad to worse when, whilst caught up in the absolute mass of people trying to get out of Shanghai, we see that a moment of childish selfishness results in Jamie tragically becoming separated from his parents with absolutely no way of getting back to them. As a result, we see that Jamie must now come to terms with the fact that he is, for at the very least the foreseeable future, all on his own and must therefore become his own provider and take care of himself without Mom, Dad, or anybody else around to hold his hand for the very first time. At the same time, it is also during this rather uncertain and dangerous period in history where we as an audience will get the chance to see if our young intrepid lad has what it takes to grow up and become a young man in order to hopefully one day be reunited with his mom and dad or if his fate is one that is a bit more on the tragic side of things. As for which of those is what winds up occurring however that is most assuredly something I shall leave for you to discover for yourself…..
Now right off, it should be said that the work engaged in by the various units operating behind the camera on this particularly distinct cinematic outing all, by and large, manages to be quite solid all things considered. Without any doubt in my mind, this starts with the work done by Steven Spielberg in the director’s chair and although, as previously stated, this might not be one of the most highly regarded works in his filmography there is also no denying that his work at the helm is still incredibly solid. Indeed there are a few aspects to Spielberg’s work here that really manage to distinguish it than if someone say Francis Ford Coppola or Martin Scorsese had chosen to direct this instead. The first is that this slice of cinema, much like The Color Purple a couple of years prior, does a wonderful job of showcasing Spielberg’s transition into a filmmaker who was willing to take on such potent themes as one’s innocence being lost and the terrors of war in addition to still being the director who was willing to make movies that were meant to entertain as he would showcase with such films as the third Indiana Jones film 2 years after this in 1989. Along with that, we see that Spielberg’s incredible talent for merging an extraordinary narrative besides smaller yet no less potent character moments is still just as powerful as ever. Yes, this film does move a bit slower than a lot of people might like it to, but overall Spielberg does a wonderful job of making this story feel both incredibly intimate and truly larger than life. Besides the work done by Spielberg at the helm, this slice of cinema also features some truly gorgeous work from Allen Daviau in the cinematography department. Indeed there are at least a couple of things which Daviau does here incredibly well. The first is that through the brilliant utilization of natural lighting, we see that Daviau is able to conjure up for us an atmosphere that seems both more genuine and absorbing respectively. Along with that, we see that Daviau does a remarkable job of often utilizing wide camera shots in an attempt to put focus on the scale and devastation of the war-struck locales in the film. As a result, not only does the film look bleak yet beautiful, but it also successfully conveys for us the characters’ sense of both isolation and helplessness. Last, but by no means of the imagination least, I feel like this section would most assuredly be lacking if I didn’t take some time to talk about the work done by iconic maestro John Williams on this slice of cinema’s musical accompaniment. Indeed through a blend of such elements as orchestral components as well as a beautiful-sounding children’s choir, we see that Williams is able to aid in the conjuring of this film’s evocative and soul stirring to say nothing of ominously gorgeous atmosphere in such a way that it is sure to leave you with a tear in your eye and all the feels in your heart in equal measure. Suffice it to say that when you also factor into this distinct cinematic brew an incredible screenplay as penned by British playwright Tom Stoppard that does a fantastic job at showcasing the odyssey of our young hero on both a emotive and cerebral level plus highly skilled work from both the editing department as headed by frequent Spielberg collaborator Michael Kahn and the production design department among others it’s clear that this slice of cinema might not be for everyone by any means of the imagination, but for those of you out there who are willing to give it a chance I promise that the work done behind the camera will most definitely help make it extremely worthwhile.
Alongside the superb work engaged in by the various groups operating behind the camera on this slice of cinema, this film is also the blessed recipient of a collection of performances in front of the camera by an impeccably chosen and extremely talented group of performers. Without question, this starts with the incredible work done by, at the time, relative newcomer Christian Bale (The Dark Knight trilogy, American Psycho, The Machinist) in the lead role and he is absolutely remarkable here. Indeed as Jamie, we see that Bale does an outstanding job at giving us a young man who is someone that, if I’m being honest, is at best extremely sheltered and insulated from the horrors of the outside world and at worse will at points drive you nuts with how much of a brat he can be. Yet when the war comes knocking on his front door and results in him having to fend for himself to say nothing of engage in a daily battle for survival, we see that Bale is able to do an effective job of slowly yet surely shedding all of that and transition the character into a resourceful and significantly more mature young adult who has his eyes tragically opened. Not only the terror of war firsthand, but also to just how complex the outside world truly is. Indeed it’s a powerful turn and one that definitely acts as a wonderful introduction to one of the more intriguing talents operating in the land of movie magic today. Besides the terrific work done by Bale in the lead role, this slice of cinema also presents us as movie goers with an extremely engaging support turn from screen icon John Malkovich (RED from 2010, Con Air, and Rounders from 1998 among others) in the role of Basie. Indeed Malkovich does a impressive job at presenting us with a guy who might be a bit of a scoundrel especially in regards to how he time and time again takes advantage of our main hero including having him do tasks that could very easily get him killed, but who also showcases a bit of a good side as well with particular regard to how he tries to teach him both how to survive and how the outside world really is. Indeed it’s a fairly multifaceted performance and one that Malkovich manages to bring to life incredibly well. Last, but by no stretch of the imagination least this section would not be complete if I didn’t talk about the top-tier work done by Nigel Havers (Chariots of Fire, and A Passage to India among others) as Dr. Rawlins. Indeed Havers does a terrific job of giving us a character that, much like Basie, desperately tries to be a mentor to Jim. Unlike Basie however, we see that Rawlins not only genuinely cares about Jamie’s wellbeing, but also tries to provide him with a feeling of stability amidst the chaos of the war-torn landscape that they are very much a part of. Suffice it to say that when you also incorporate fine efforts from such fellow screen talents as Miranda Richardson (Sleepy Hollow from 1999, 1992’s The Crying Game), the always enjoyable Joe Pantoliano, Leslie Phillips (the voice of the Sorting Hat in Harry Potter, and Lord Astor in 1989’s Scandal), Masatō Ibu (Ultraman in the late 70s/early 80s Ultraman animated show), Robert Stephens (the 1968 Romeo and Juliet, and 1977’s The Duellists), Emily Richard, Rupert Frazer, and even Ben Stiller (yes that would be the same Ben Stiller who did Night at the Museum and There’s Something About Mary) among others it’s clear that there might be some issues here and there with this particular film, but the performances given by this cast of players definitely does what it can to help make up for those and then some.
All in all and at the end of the day is Empire of the Sun a completely and utterly flawless cinematic endeavor by any stretch of the imagination? Sadly as much as I would love to tell you that is the case I am afraid that I cannot though definitely not for lack of effort on the part of either the incredibly skilled cast or crew who brought it so vividly to life for us. With that said, is this the worst cinematic effort given to audiences by anyone involved in the making of this film? Most assuredly not! Not just because I am of the belief that Spielberg has yet to make during his legendary career a film that I would even remotely consider to be “bad” by any means, but also because there are some films that John Malkovich and Christian Bale have made that would definitely like to have a conversation with you. To be sure, Empire of the Sun is not going to be a slice of cinema that is going to appeal to each and every one of you. Not just because of the subject matter at the heart of the film to say nothing of the fact that not only does it feel like a fair amount of the characters are not given nearly as much in the way of material to work with as others, but also the narrative does seem at points to be more than just a tad bit on the disjointed side and the pacing is definitely a bit off here and there throughout the film’s 2 and a half hour, including credits, runtime. With those detriments in mind however, there is also no denying that the work done at the helm by Spielberg is (big surprise) absolutely solid, the score by John Williams is poignant and soul-stirring in the best way, the cinematography is absolutely mesmerizing, the script is definitely well-penned, and the performances (with particular regard to the ones provided by Bale, Malkovich, Pantoliano, Richardson, Havers, Phillips, and Ibu) are all absolutely engaging no matter how much or how little in terms of screentime and/or narrative material they are ultimately given to work with. Suffice it to say then that Empire of the Sun “87” might not be the most widely known or regarded entry in its director’s filmography, but if you are on the lookout for a gripping and emotional story about the impact that war can have on even the youngest of people to say nothing of a riveting look at how the civilians caught in the crossfire during an armed conflict can be the ones most directly affected then trust me when I say that this is one film you aren’t soon to forget anytime soon. Make of that what thou will dear reader! On a scale of 1-5 I give Empire of the Sun “87” a solid 4 out of 5.
