Empire of the Sun (1987)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Genres - Drama, Action, Adventure, War, Historical Film |
Sub-Genres - POW Drama, War Drama, Childhood Drama |
Release Date - Dec 9, 1987 (USA) |
Run Time - 153 min. |
Countries - United States |
MPAA Rating - PG
Share on
Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Based on J.G. Ballard's autobiographical novel, Empire of the Sun stars Christian Bale as a spoiled young British boy, living with his wealthy family in pre-World War II Shanghai. During the Japanese invasion, Bale is separated from his parents. With the help of soldier-of-fortune John Malkovich, Bale learns to survive without a retinue of servants at his beck and call. By the time Malkovich and Bale are tossed into a Japanese prison camp, the boy has picked up enough street-smarts and developed enough intestinal fortitude to regard his imprisonment as an exciting adventure. The story ends during the 1945 liberation: on the verge of manhood, the 13-year-old Bale will never again be the pampered, privileged brat whom we met in the early scenes.
Characteristics
Moods
Themes
Keywords
war, child-abuse, childhood-adventures, coming-of-age, death, POW/MIA, prison, riches-to-rags, survivor, teenagers
Attributes
High Artistic Quality, High Production Values, Sleeper