|
In Empire of the Sun, Jim (Bale), a precocious young British boy living a sheltered life among the privileged in Shanghai, is separated from his parents as panic-stricken mobs flee to sanctuary after the army of Imperial Japan invades China. Left behind and forced to fend for himself, Jim hooks up with Basie (Malkovich) and Frank (Pantoliano), a pair of seedy American merchant seamen, who are busy hustling while hiding out from the Japanese.
Initially shielded from the horror of what is happening by his child-like wonder, Jim quickly masters the scams Basie and Frank use to survive. When the Japanese intern all three, Jim becomes warped, as the horrible truth of what is happening begins to break through his defenses. Tapping into the soul of this innocent boy as he struggles to survive, Spielberg captures the staggering surrealism, tragedy and beauty of war.
|
