Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson

Semi-autobiographical story of an 11-year-old English boy learning to grow up in a Japanese internment camp during WWII.

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89% liked it

50,243 ratings

Critics

80% liked it

35 critics

PG, 2 hrs. 32 min.

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Release Date: December 9, 1987

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DVD Release Date: November 6, 2001

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Stats: 3,509 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (3,509)


  • September 28, 2009
    "To survive in a world at war, he must find a strength greater than all the events that surround him."

    A young English boy struggles to survive under Japanese occupation during World War II.

    REVIEW
    ...( read more)enter>
    Before he was chopping up prostitutes on Wall Street, Christian Bale was the boy standing on top of an air-traffic control tower, cheering as American bombers laid waste to the airstrip of the Japanese POW camp he was currently a resident of. As a pampered British boy named Jim "Jamie" Graham who is separated from his parents following the fall of Shanghai before American involvement in World War II, Bale is simply astounding. A young performer at 12, he is forced to grow up fast as a prisoner of the ruling Japanese forces, making friends wherever he can, including American Basie (John Malkovich), his pal Frank (Joe Pantoliano), and even the young Kamikaze pilot who lives in the barracks on the other side of the fence. "Empire of the Sun," an adaptation of the novel by J.G. Ballard, is often cited as one of director Steven Spielberg's weakest films, but I beg to differ. It is well known that he has a special place in his heart for WWII, and it's something he loves and loathes. It's a coming-of-age tale that really understands the grueling nature of the reality it depicts, and despite its "PG" rating, is still something for a mature audience. We're with Jamie the entire way, who is only 12, remember, yet he has already seen enough to last a lifetime. The only major gripe with this picture is its running time, and some scenes do tend to drag on for far too long, but that's only a minor grievance in a tale that is truly epic.
  • September 13, 2009
    The camera work alone creates a stunning visual work of art, but add to that a remarkable script adapted from Ballard's epic novel, great performances from Christian Bale, John Malkovich and Miranda Richardson and the usual superb Spielberg direction and you've got a film that se...( read more)ems to only get better with time.
  • August 7, 2008
    Highly underrated masterpiece from the one and only Steven Spielberg. This is a wonderful and powerful film. That has the same epic look as The Last Emperor but actually has the story to maintain the film's look.
    It also helps to have Young Christain Bale playing the lead role ...( read more)(Which is really just a younger version of him in Rescue Dawn) and a brilliant supporting cast. Also Speilberg uses his Point of View prespective of the story through Bale brillantly.
  • July 13, 2008
    Jim: [during an American air strike] P-51! Cadillac of the sky!

    Steven Spielberg directs a young Christian Bale in an epic semi-autobiographical story about a young English boy living in Shanghai during WWII, only to be separated from his parents and end up spending a good deal...( read more) of time in a Japanese internment camp.

    As a Spielberg film, it is excellently made, combining wonderful visuals, excellent cinematography, a great John Williams score, and a well done job at telling a story.

    Jim: I can't remember what my parents look like.

    It also helps that young Bale is as terrific as ever. He plays the boy Jim as an energetic youngster, a quick learner, and one who becomes over-excited very quickly. His love of planes and later, his enjoyment in knowing all the ins and outs of the internment camp all work at getting his character across.

    The good supporting cast is also welcome, including talents such as John Malcovich, Miranda Richardson, and Joe Pantoliano.

    Wisely, Spielberg places the point-of-view of the film from the perspective of Bale, making the film's tone work very well in depicting the harsh realities of living in a prison camp.

    There are a couple of key memorable moments in this film that are also very effective. Some include the early scenes involving massive crowds in Shanghai, another involves the portrayal of a certain event in Japan. These elements all work at making this movie succeed in being very well done.

    Jim: Would you like a Hershey bar?
    Nina: Oh yes, please
    Jim: So would I kid, have you got one?
  • March 26, 2008
    Based on a true story, this film is about a privledged little English boy (a young Chritain Bale) who gets seperated from his parents when the Japanese army invades British controlled China.

    The boy is first forced to live in the streets, before being place in a Japanese inter...( read more)nment camp.

    His adventures are epic. Full of wonder, fear, excitment and joy. Very touching and beautifully shot. One of the few Speilberg films that I can say that I really love.

    Watch for Ben Stiller (in a serious role for once) as one of the men in the internment camps.
  • November 16, 2009
    I think it's scary how amazing Christian Bale was in this. The story is just such an emotional drain, you can't help but fall in love with Jim and his search for his family. He goes through just about everything and never seems to lose hope. The look and feel of the movie is so r...( read more)ealistic, you feel like you're actually there. The locations and sheer scale of the movie make you question how they got some of the shots they did. I think this is Spielberg's best WWII story because he allowed himself to look at the story without making it good vs. evil.
  • November 7, 2009
    Hey what an epic masterpiece of Spielberg with the breathtaking act of a young Christian Bale.
  • November 3, 2009
    Esta pelicula es acerca de la perdida de la inocencia y como este niño se convirtio en hombre, con un brillandte Christian Bale.-
  • November 2, 2009
    Awesome movie! It was seeing the repercussions of the war in a child's eyes. Christian Bale was a great actor even in his childhood days.
  • October 10, 2009
    I hate the beginning. It's soo sad!

Critic Reviews


January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The movie is always interesting from a narrative point of view. Spielberg is a good storyteller with a good tale to tell. But it never really adds up to anything. full review

View more Empire of the Sun reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • AuDiOxCeL
    May 4, 2008
    I have to confese, that when i was a kid (5-8) i didnt like it, to me it was boring and my dad was a fan of it.

    But then when i was 9 or 10 i take a time to see it, and i totally love it!, till now its one of the bests movies ive ever seen, and i surely recommend it to everyone!
  • PinkBohemianSweetie
    June 19, 2007
    This film isn't just about a British boy during the Japanese occupation. This film is about us - it's about our FEARS (how to face it), COURAGE (when we face life's everyday "battle") and TRIUMPH. With an intense acting and outstanding cinematography, Empire of The Sun is such a moving film - it goes straight to your heart. Splendid! ^*^
  • arikajohnson
    April 7, 2007
    I didn't know it was Christian Bale that played the main character. That's awesome, time sure did fly. I remember seeing this on HBO back when it came out, I was like 7.

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Empire of the Sun Trivia


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