Unbroken (FILM REVIEW)
Unbroken
Film Review
by Kam Williams
WWII Saga Recounts U.S.
Olympian’s Ordeal as Brutalized POW
Do you remember how, Infamous, a biopic about Truman Capote, was
released right on the heels of the one entitled Capote? But because the latter
had already received considerable critical acclaim, including an Oscar for the
late Philip Seymour Hoffman, the Johnnie-come-lately had little chance of
making more than a blip on the radar.
The same fate might befall Unbroken, a World War II saga directed
by Angelina Jolie. The parallels between this picture and The Railway Man are
impossible to ignore, since they both recall the real-life ordeal of a POW
tortured by a sadistic, Japanese officer.
The Railway Man, which opened last April, was based on Eric
Lomax’s autobiography, and starred the charismatic Colin Firth in the title
role opposite Tanroh Ishida as the sick interrogator who seemed to take
pleasure in beating him mercilessly. Although Lomax would survive Singapore, he was left traumatized by the
grueling ordeal, and ultimately attempted to exorcise his demons by returning
to Southeast Asia to track down his abuser.
The correspondingly-themed Unbroken was adapted from the Laura
Hillenbrand’s (Seabiscuit) best-seller of the same name recounting bombardier
Louie Lamperini’s (Jack O’Connell) struggle to survive a POW camp in Tokyo after his plane crashed
in the Pacific during a rescue mission. Because he had represented the U.S.
in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin,
he was singled out for special mistreatment by a cruel prison guard (Takamasa
Ishihara). And later in life, he would return to the Orient to try to confront that
evil creep who’d singled him out for an extra measure of persecution.
Unbroken, like The Railway Man, even
ends with a touching, closing credits photo montage featuring snapshots of both
the hero and his tormentor which only added to this critic’s profound sense of
déjà vu. An honorable, historical drama who’s primary flaw rests in its being
released too soon after a more-compelling biopic revolving around similar
subject-matter.
An uplifting tribute to the
indomitability of the human spirit.
Very Good
(2.5 stars)
Rated PG-13
for brief profanity and intense brutality
In English, Italian and Japanese with subtitles
Running time: 137 minutes
Distributor: Universal
Pictures
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