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Empire of the Sun (1987)
Starring Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Nigel Havers, and Miranda Richardson. Cinematography by Allen Daviau. Edited by Michael Kahn. Produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Steven Spielberg. Written by Tom Stoppard. Directed by Steven Spielberg.
Jim Graham is a highly privileged eleven year old boy living in Shanghai, China. His British parents have settled there and thrive in the struggling economy. On December 8, 1941 the Japanese army invades Shanghai and in the chaos of the evacuation Jim is separated from his parents. He makes his way back to his home where he finds his humble servants looting the mansion. Jim stays in the striped house until he is discovered by the Japanese and is put into prison camp. Years pass by and Jim learns painful lessons in the ways of life. By the end of the war the one time spoiled and naïve boy has become a hardened survivor who is nearly unrecognizable, even by his own parents.
Empire of the Sun was first published in 1984. It was a tremendous critical success and hailed as one of the best novels of the year. Its story is based on the semi-autobiographical adventures of its author, science fiction writer J.G. Ballard, and documents many of his experiences during the Second World War. Shortly following the book’s release legendary filmmaker David Lean started adapting the story to the screen. It’s easy to imagine why he would have been interested in the project as it thematically echoes both his The Bridge on the River Kwai and Oliver Twist. But after a year’s worth of pre-production he eventually dropped it to pursue a film version of Joseph Conrad’s Nostromo; a film that would have been produced by Steven Spielberg but was never completed. The Empire of the Sun script was passed on to Spielberg who, having recently filmed The Color Purple, was on a contemporary literature adaptation kick. It’s no surprise that this particular story would appeal to Spielberg either, considering his filmography is filled with lost children. Either way Empire of the Sun was destined for cinematic greatness.
Empire of the Sun was a production on an epic scale. The crew traveled the globe filming in four countries across three continents. They were actually the very first American film production allowed to shoot in China since the Maoist revolution in 1949. Airplanes also played a major part in the story, representing fantasies of freedom to the young Jim. Real vintage aircraft, as well as radio controlled one-third scale models, were used to recreate the amazing dog fight and bombing sequences. All of this effort adds up to an incredible, and unique, look at a microcosm of World War II that many people may not have been aware of. Spielberg effectively captures the chaos of the oncoming invasion, the bleakness of the ongoing war, and the finality of defeat. It is also surprisingly lacking of sentimentality for a Spielberg feature. Despite all that it has going for it, Empire of the Sun found only modest return at the box office both domestically and world wide. But Spielberg had only just begun in his quest to recreate and capture The Greatest War.
Budget: $38,000,000
Total US Gross: $22,238,696
Genre: War
Runtime: 154 Minutes
US Release Date: 12/9/87
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Awards: Academy Awards: Nominated for best art direction/set decoration, best cinematography, best costume design, best editing, best original score, and best sound. Golden Globes: Nominated for best original score and best dramatic picture. Directors Guild of America: Nominated for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures.
Tagline: To Survive In A World At War, He Must Find A Strength Greater Than All The Events That Surround Him.
Quote: “I can't remember what my parents look like. I try, but I can't remember. I remember my mother. She was sitting on the bed brushing her hair… she had dark hair.”
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