EMPIRE OF THE SUN. Directed by Steven Spielberg; written by Tom Marshall; produced by Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall for Warner Bros. Starring Christian Bale and John Malkovich. Rated PG (violence).
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A boy flashing a light out a hotel window to a battleship in the harbor below. A shiny toy airplane dropped on a crowded street. The boy again, in love with flying, chasing an errant glider over a hill, only to find, on the other side, a bunker full of armed soldiers, waiting for some signal to overrun the child's charmed existence.
The story of Empire of the Sun is fascinating, and the acting is wonderful. But it is the catalog of its marvelous images (those above are only examples) that makes it memorable. Ironically, the very beauty and intelligence of these images makes them the movie's greatest weakness, too, since perhaps too much attention is called to them as images, to the (marginal) detriment of the narrative flow of the story.
But this is a very minor criticism of an otherwise magnificent piece of cinema. It is artistically interesting, emotionally moving and very much worth seeing.
Empire of the Sun is the story of four years in the life of Jim Braham (Bale) who is 11 as the movie opens in late 1941. Jim and his parents live in Shanghai, aware of growing tensions between China and Japan, but unwilling to abandon such a luxurious lifestyle until it is almost too late. Finally, trying to leave in the panic-stricken hour when the Japanese are actually marching into Shanghai, the parents are separated from Jim.
The boy is energetic and clever, but, we soon realize, not clever enough to survive on his own in the dangerous place that his hometown has become. After waiting in vain for his parents at home until the canned food has run out, he eventually runs in with Basie (Malkovich) a quintessential survivor. Sticking to the American Basie as best he can, as they end up in an internment camp, Jim survives ordeals that finish off many of his fellow prisoners. But having such a role model as Basie, and such experiences during such a crucial period in his life has a lasting effect on his psyche.
Bale, 13, who is "introduced" in Empire of the Sun, is nothing-short of astonishing as Jim. The focus of virtually every scene in the 2 1/2-hour-long movie, he is completely convincing and totally compelling. He actually seems to grow up before your eyes; how could mere makeup and costuming can make him look so young at the beginning and so old at the end the movie?
His enthusiasm for life even in the most unpleasant circumstances is inspiring. He keeps track of the number of weevils, for example, that he finds in each day's ration of gruel, and eats them with relish for their protein. And his normal teenage confusion over his feelings and values, molded as they are in this most unnatural setting, is touching and believable. Spielberg has a reputation for being a good "children's director," and that skill reaches dazzling heights in Empire of the Sun.
Malkovich, as always, creates an unforgettable character. Basie is slimy and cold-hearted, to be sure, but Malkovich allows him enough hints of feeling for Jim that it's hard to judge him too harshly.
The rest of the cast is good, too, but it is in the technical aspects that Empire of the Sun truly soars like some of Jim's beloved planes. The production design is exquisite, with everything from cans of Spam to tanks to vintage limos not just looking, but feeling right for the period. (The scenes set in Shanghai were actually filmed there, Empire of the Sun being the first Hollywood production ever to film in the People's Republic of China). And the music complements the action and the imagery beautifully, with richly romantic chorales featuring crystalline boy sopranos guaranteed to raise tons of collective gooseflesh.
Although Empire of the Sun is about a child, and there is little in the way of foul language or sexual references, it's not a children's movie. The fearful consequences of separation from parents are frightening; the frequent presence of the sick, dead and dying in the camp is depressing; and the movie's just too long for most young viewers. There are only a couple af instances of explicit violence, but these are fairly graphic, and might also disturb impressionable moviegoers.
NOTE: this movie made my 10-best list for 1987.
December 16, 1987