Humanity.
That’s the biggest tone in Spielbergs movies. He has the ability to shove
inside most of his movies human tones and variations that makes us feel and
identify with the main character. With “Empire of The Sun” there is no
difference. The boy portrayed by the infant Christian Bale makes remarks that now
and then resemble our own childhood, as when he meets character Frank and keep
telling him his abilities (like writing a book), albeit them being of no use
for the occasion.
Located at
Shanghai just before Pearl Harbour attack, the film depicts a rich boy’s life changing
abruptly due to the Japanese invasion. The atmosphere changes from the safety granted
by wealth on a former colony to the anxiety of living on concentration camp, apart
from any relative. Yes, Bale’s
character, Jim, gets lost from his parents, right at the beginning of the
movie. Thus, inside the camp the movie adopts the usual prison Hollywood
dynamics: the character acquires knowledge of all the places leaps, sometimes
even luring the captors, as if there could be fun times here and there when in
captivity. Impossible not to resemble McQueen’s “The Great Escape”.
Another
noticeable aspect is the hollywoodian rather usual reconciliation with the Japanese.
The movie shows the Japs as being
capable of in-war mutual friendship, even of great acts of valor towards their
captives. This pattern somehow resonates on other movies, like “Karate Kid”,
for an example, where there is pride shown towards Myagi’s War Medals.
The two
main and almost only substantial characters are Christian Bale’s and
Malkovitch’s . The latest, as always, acts his most repeated role, as the
clever guy in the room. Nothing more than this.
On the other hand, Jim is very well acted. The boy doesn’t slip any bit
from the emotions he is enacting, ranging from content, through fear, to
excitement. Seeing him nowadays as a child we can notice many of his adult
acting expressions, with the same convincingness he pours these days.
This movie,
as with almost all Spielberg’s, has a positive and beautiful message. This time
it’s about leaving behind our possessions, griefs, hopes and guidance
principles in order to adapt the way life presents itself, or, as the movie
shows, just to survive. It is truly
worth seeing.
@jpvbm
