Empire of the Sun

Empire of the Sun is a coming-of-age war story about a boy named Jim (Christian Bale) transitioning into a young adult in the wake of pulling through under the circumstances of war.

Jim is a wealthy British kid living with all imaginable privileges as an expat in Shanghai. Born inquisitive, he questions everything that comes his way, including his luck when he witnesses other Chinese who do not have the same silver spoon that he has. This precise difference is beautifully juxtaposed during the scene where Jim's family car crosses a flyover to attend a costume party while a flock of local residents try to survive by barging into Shanghai borders. The imminent danger at the upcoming Japanese invasion is from the beginning, and before we know it, Jim is separated from his family in a street commotion!

The unique lens Empire of the Sun uses for narration is the eyes of a small boy. Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg effectively translated the perspective, curiosity, excitement, queries, pain and struggle of a kid with his storytelling techniques, prompting us to feel and think exactly what's inside Jim's heart and mind. Crashed plane observation, imaginary dogfight, rice craving and house-wandering until food resource depletion are some of the examples. We realize that no matter the situation, Jim is a kid. And his playfulness is always intact; the trait that percolates him through this horrific war!

While scenes such as Jim stumbling upon a trench full of Japanese soldiers, being captured in a Jap-invaded dwelling, trying to escape prison camp with other prisoners betting on his success, Basie (John Malkovich) being caught by the General for using his soap and American soldiers bombing the Japanese army are full of tension, the primary issue with the plot is it's too figurative at many points aka not physical enough to show the internal changes happening within Jim. However, his drastic metamorphosis into an adult is heartbreaking to say the least. Getting bullied on street, stealing shoes from a dead person, providing for the people at encampment, brawling over food ration, constant betrayals by Basie, watching a couple make love and seeing his friend shot for trying to cut a fruit open for him are the nodal instances that push Jim further out of his bodily age. You could tell, at what supposed to be a joyful moment when Jim reunites with his parents at the end of the film, that he has outgrown them and no longer needs them! The post-war PTSD beams out of his face, glaringly!

Empire of the Sun has some of the highest quality production design and cinematography ever projected on silver screens! Spielberg's blocking requires no introduction as it is exceptional as always! Most of the sound design is rather basic though.