Unbroken (2014) Review!!

Synopsis – After a near-fatal plane crash in WWII, Olympian Louis Zamperini spends a harrowing 47 days in a raft with two fellow crewmen before he’s caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.

My Take – The trailer for this Angelina Jolie directed film was enough to put it on my ‘Must See’ list! Jolie has certainly produced/ directed a film which is far more affecting and valuable than many others have done in recent times. Her vision is grand and the sets and performances give this film a certain dark warmth. The film follows Loui Zamperini (Jack O’Connell) a son of Italian immigrants seems destined for a life in trouble until, running away from it one day, his talent for speed is discovered. Several years later, with one Olympics under his belt, WWII breaks out and Zamperini finds himself in the Pacific fighting the Japanese. When their airplane plunges into the sea, Zamperini and the other airmen battle the ravages of the sea to survive 47 harrowing days only to be rescued and taken to a Japanese POW camp.

The camp commander, Corporal Watanabe (Takamasa Ishihara), makes it his personal mission to make life both incredibly painful and short for Zamperini but the athlete refuses to be broken. The best part of the film is, it makes an accurate portrayal of the conditions under which Allied POW’s lived under the prisoner camp system of Imperial Japan. While there are a few flashbacks highlighting his childhood and his accomplishments in the Olympics, probably 95% of the movie is all about his experiences lost at sea or as a prisoner of war. It is through this crucible that we learn more about who Zamperini was, tying into the best line of the whole film, “If I can take it, I can make it.” In so many ways, that’s one of those sayings that perhaps everyone should live their life by. Louie did, while he had his moments of doubt and fear, he ultimately remembered those words when times were at their worst, and he managed to come out the other side. Yes, there was a large production and post-production crew behind the film, but the director has the final control and Angelina Jolie pulled it off perfectly.

Jack O’Connell pours everything he has into capturing the spirit of Zamperini, and he is certainly an actor to keep an eye on! After ’71 (2014) this is another remarkable performance! Domhnall Gleeson, Garrett Hedlund and Jai Courtney are also good in their roles. Japanese rock star Miyaki plays “The Bird” Watanabe, a sadistic POW camp commander who brutalized Zamperini, but Miyaki lacks the chops to pull off this crucial role – going a bit heavy on the posturing. This film deserves nothing but a top rating. Jolie directed a top notch production with all the realism of what our P.O.W.’s had to endure. The opening bombing run itself is worth an Oscar!! Director Angelina Jolie has done an amazing job portraying Louis Zamperini’s life story and his struggles throughout his childhood & during the war. It created a vivid picture of the cruel POW camps in Japan, which I didn’t really know too much about. On the whole ‘Unbroken’, Angelina Jolie’s second outing as feature director (her third, By the Sea is released later this year) is a rewarding, engaging delve into the remarkable true story of Louis Zamperini (who passed away in 2014); trouble maker, Olympian, airman, prisoner of war & survivor. Must watch!