Empire of the Sun (1987)
- Directed by
- Steven Spielberg
- Genre
- drama film, war film, coming-of-age film
- Country
- United Kingdom, United States
- Runtime
- 2h 34m
- Rated
- PG
- Rating
- 7.5 of 10 from 2,153 voters
- Elsewhere
- IMDb
The catalogue in 3D
The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.
How it feels
A wealthy British boy named Jim is separated from his parents in Shanghai during World War II and ends up in a Japanese internment camp. He must learn to survive on his own in a harsh and unfamiliar environment.
emotionalpoignantmelancholicintimatevisually stunningsuspensefulbittersweetserious
What happens
Empire of the Sun is a 1987 American war drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Tom Stoppard, based on J. G. Ballard's semi-autobiographical 1984 novel of the same name. The film tells the story of Jamie "Jim" Graham (Christian Bale), a young boy who goes from living with his wealthy British family in Shanghai to becoming a prisoner of war in an internment camp operated by the Japanese during World War II. The film also stars John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers, Joe Pantoliano, MasatÅ Ibu, Leslie Phillips, Ben Stiller, and Robert Stephens. Harold Becker and David Lean were originally to direct before Spielberg came on board, initially as a producer for Lean. Spielberg was attracted to directing the film because of a personal connection to Lean's films and World War II topics. He considers it to be his most profound work on "the loss of innocence". Empire of the Sun was released by Warner Bros. on December 11, 1987. The film received positive reviews, with praise towards Bale's performance, the cinematography, the visuals, John Williams's score and Spielberg's direction. However, the film was not initially a commercial success, earning only $22 million at the US box office, although it eventually more than recouped its budget through revenues in foreign markets, home video, and television. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)
More like this
Hope and Glory (1987)
Au revoir les enfants (1987)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
No regret (1987)
Le palanquin des larmes (1987)
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983)
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
Full Metal Jacket (1987)- More like this film, on a shelf you can walk up to.It's the lit case on the top shelf.