Unbroken (2014) [Blu-ray]
Biography | Drama | Sport | War
Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie directs and produces this epic drama that follows the incredible life of Olympian and war hero Louis "Louie" Zamperini (Jack O'Connell) who, along with two other crewmen, survived on a raft for 47 days after a
near-fatal plane crash in WWII - only to be caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. Adapted from Laura Hillenbrand's (Seabiscuit: An American Legend) enormously popular book, it's the inspiring true story about the resilient power
of the human spirit.
Storyline: The life of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete who joined the armed forces during the second world war. Only to be captured by the Japanese navy after a plane crash in the Pacific. During his capture, Louie must
continue his fight by surviving through the war. Written by Tristanmerkler01
Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, March 18, 2015 -- The saga of Western prisoners in Japanese prison camps during World War II is no stranger to cinema. From Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence to Empire of the
Sun, from Bridge on the River Kwai to The Railway Man, the difficult labors, emotional struggles, physical pains, and unending uncertainties have been projected onto the screen with class, grace, and beautiful craftsmanship and with
unflinching authority and command of the harsh realities but ofttimes high spirits that stood tall against physical and emotional oppression. So few sub genres have produced so many wonderful films as this one. Add another to the small but storied list
with Director Angelina Jolie's (In the Land of Blood and Honey) Unbroken, the true story of an American Olympian's struggle to survive and his refusal to use his fame to satisfy the demands of his enemies. The film, based on the book of the
same name by Laura Hillenbrand (Seabiscuit), is graceful and uplifting, a testament to not only hero Louis Zamperini but to the human spirit and its ability to withstand anything in the face of that which would tear it down.
Olympic runner Louis Zamperini (Jack O'Connell) has answered the call of duty, leaving behind his running shoes for a seat inside a bomber. Once known as wayward adolescent who matured into the fastest high school athlete in the country and proudly
nicknamed "The Torrance Tornado," Louis found himself overseas as part of the U.S. Olympic contingent in Berlin for the 1936 games. But nothing in his life could prepare him for the hardships to follow. After his bomber barely makes it back to base after
a trying run, he and a makeshift crew are sent on a rescue mission in a plane that's barely fit for duty. Somewhere over the Pacific, its engines fail. Louis survives the crash, as do two of his crew mates. They're stranded, without much in the way of
drinkable water and forced to live off the raw flesh of whatever fish they happen to catch, for 47 days. Little did he know a potentially worse fate could await him when he's pulled from the water and transferred to a Japanese detention facility under the
command of the harsh Mutsuhiro Watanabe (Takamasa Ishihara) whom the men have nicknamed "The Bird."
The film's most important moment comes early on, well before Louis finds himself adrift in the Pacific or interned in a Japanese camp, long before, even, his rise as a formidable runner and entry into the Olympic games. He's sitting in church and
overhears a sermon on forgiveness, about forgiving the sin, smiling on the sinner, the contrasts of night and day as a metaphor for good and evil, and the importance of loving, rather than hating, an enemy. While the film largely leaves behind the factor
of faith in Zamperini's story, its current runs deeply throughout. Rarely does the film overtly examine Zamperini in that light beyond those opening minutes and in a text addendum at film's end. Yet one can see how those notions of forgiveness and love
drive him in how he stands tall against Bird on numerous occasions, whether accepting punishment for his refusal to cooperate with Japanese propaganda or, later, when he stands up under enormous physical and emotional burdens in the film's triumphant
denouement. While it's a shame the movie doesn't dig a little deeper or take the time to depict Zamperini's life, spirituality, and endeavors after the war, that unmistakable air of triumphant spirituality does hang over the film, meshing with its
beautiful core story of strength and determination against the most challenging odds.
That still leaves the movie with quite a bit of room to explore, and it does so to positive, uplifting effect, though certainly not crossing any emotional territory that hasn't been well traversed before it. The film works extraordinarily well in a rather
straightforward manner, relying on the power of the story and the stature of the man, yes, but also depending on general narrative flow and basic human spirit to carry it through to fruition. To claim that there's anything emotionally new in
Unbroken would be to hold it higher than it deserves, but the film does manage to get everything right, even if that means it only exists in a comfort zone of classic cinema tragedy-turned-triumph where odds are overcome, burdens are bested, and
spirits soar. Angeline Jolie has done everything right -- and that makes Unbroken a powerful experience -- but it doesn't break through to uncharted territory, either. Audiences expecting a classic narrative in mostly new clothes -- the core story
details, not the broader generalities -- will find the movie a major success. Those hoping that it somehow reinvents the wheel will be left disappointed.
Angelina Jolie's latest turn behind the camera proves a significantly more fluid, richer one than her work on the aforementioned In the Land of Blood and Honey, that a film that certainly payed with the feel that it was crafted by someone with
skill but not total confidence in constructing a complicated narrative. That's changed in Unbroken. While this film's tone is assuredly different, Jolie's command of it is certain. The film speaks freely and flows effortlessly with an intimacy and
attention to detail that places it in an elite status of comfortably complete moviemaking. As with the narrative, though, Jolie doesn't break new ground in her approach to the material, letting the story speak for itself rather than allow it to be
devoured by a needless bit of added fluff from the other side of the camera. Jack O'Connell's turn as the Olympian-turned-airman-turned-survialist-turned-detainee is a triumph of spirit. O'Connell, like Jolie, relies a bit more heavily on tone and story
detail and implied character growth and exploration rather than overt and unnecessary clutter getting in the way of the performance. It's a simple yet remarkably effective effort that shines through a simple grasp of a complex life whereby the ups and
down and the endless determination do the heavy lifting -- figuratively, even, by the end -- and define the character better than endless streams of verbal sentimentality ever could.
Unbroken is living proof that the best stories are those that soar, that exemplify the best man has to offer even in the face of his worst. It's also proof that good cinema need not be fully original. Unbroken is a largely interchangeable
picture that explores the same sort of themes as many before it -- within it sub genre and elsewhere alike -- that only replaces details and superficial elements, leaving intact that uplifting, positive core. And even as it's hardly novel, it's still a
terrific experience, a moving and relevant tribute to a hero and a demonstration that cinema can stand up to an absence of originality when its heart is firmly fixed in the right place. Universal's Blu-ray release of Unbroken features tremendous
video, superb audio, and a healthy assortment of extras. Highly recommended.
[CSW] -2.6- I agree with this reviewer:
We get brief flashbacks to his life as a troubled kid & then as an Olympian in the infamous 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. The story then goes on to Zamperini & crew lost adrift in the Pacific Ocean. From there we end up in a Japanese POW
camp. The actors are great, & the cinematography is well done too but the issue here is with the screenplay. You presume this film will have an emotional crescendo & impassioned storytelling about the trails of Zampereini's life, but I was
surprised when that never happened. For a story about surviving a Japanese POW camp it's surprisingly tame. Zampereini's character has no emotional growth or struggle because the entire film he is portrayed as brave & stoic through it all so we never
really get any character development. Whether this is true to life or not, leaving out the visceral, brutal, & wretched emotional nature of survival doesn't make for the best story telling. This isn't a bad movie but it's not "Bridge On the River
Kwai" either.
[V5.0-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - D-Box 10/10.
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