hunter_kudjo
IMDb reviews are always perplexing, hence why I don't really come here all that often. After watching this movie, however, I had to jump in to clarify what a great movie this is and how to differentiate it from the negative reviews - based on your familiarity with the story. I had never heard of Zamperini's story prior to seeing this. With that in mind, I didn't have nearly a high enough standard to hold the film up to as fans of the book did. That standard is plenty high though, as far as war films go. Would absolutely recommend seeing it if you're not familiar - Zamperini's struggle almost doesn't seem real it's so epic in scope.I've seen quite a few naysayers on here complaining about the lack of character development and overly brutal torture scenes that go on and on. Although I agree the character development could be more dynamic at parts, WAR is WAR! The director Angelina Jolie did not sugarcoat life as a POW - it is quite literally suffering, torture, and death 24/7, particularly in Japanese camps. Anyone asking for "less torture" is doing a serious injustice to the pain our armed forces endured. You SHOULD know their pain, and know it well. Others also said the movie felt "heavily routine" and bland. Again, having never heard of Zamperini, I find it hard to understand what's routine and bland about going to the Olympics, falling out of the sky into shark infested waters for 45 days on a single life boat, surviving not one but two POW camps, and in the end, forgiving your own captors that tortured you. I kept thinking the movie was going to randomly end at any point and Zamperini rescued, but this was delayed in a fantastic way. I get that the book had a lot more aspects of the struggle going for it, but this is 2 hours people. Lots of audiences already find that too long, sadly. Jolie condensed what she could as best she could with the Coen brothers imho. I also liked to trying comparing this to Hacksaw Ridge, another excellent competitor in the selfless war movie genre. Both have fantastic stories and harrowing moments, but HR seemed weirdly more cliché than Unbroken did, to me. HR didn't have enough slow moments to breathe, subtle character moments that show you things off-camera that help set the scene (wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean in unbroken, Macks foreshadowing nervous demeanor). The dialogue at times also seemed heavily Hollywood-ized instead of the more realistic soldier dialogue from Unbroken. There was something more haunting about seeing every one of Zamperinis' friends fall victim to their circumstances than the expected-to- die soldier companions in HR. There are truly some remarkable things in Unbroken that make it an absolute worthwhile film to watch. Anyone saying otherwise is looking a little too deep.
areatw
'Unbroken' is set during WWII and tells the incredible true story of an Olympic athlete, Louis Zamperini, who survived 47 days in a raft at sea, only to be caught by the Japanese and sent to a prison camp, where he is tortured by a sadistic Japanese commander. It's an unbelievable story and one that had the potential to be turned into a memorable film, but 'Unbroken' doesn't really do the story justice.The main problem with the film is its surprising lack of any real emotion. It left me cold, I didn't feel a connection with any of what was happening on screen. Louis is such an easy character to sympathise with, he's somebody you naturally want to see survive and succeed, but I never felt that when I was watching the film. 'Unbroken' is an easy film to sit through because it's so well-made, but I felt detached. It lacks character and is too bland to be remembered.
Jackson Booth-Millard
I had heard about this wartime movie during the time it was in cinemas, I already wanted to see it because of its inclusion during awards season, but then more so when I realised it was directed by actress Angelina Jilie, and written by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen (Fargo, No Country for Old Men, Inside Llewyn Davis, Bridge of Spies). Basically Louis "Louie" Zamperini (Jack O'Connell) is an Italian-American young man from Torrance, California, in his childhood he was a troublemaker, and often picked on by other kids for being of Italian ethnicity. But Louie grows up more disciplined, becoming an accomplished distance runner, earning him the nickname "The Torrance Tornado", qualifying for the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, coming 8th in the 5,000 meters race, and setting a record for speed in the final lap. Then Louie joins the armed forces in World War II, becoming a bombardier of a United States Army Air Forces B-24 Liberator bomber, during a bombing mission against the Japanese-held island of Nauru, the plane is badly damaged in combat and crashes in the ocean. Louie survives, alongside Russell "Phil" Phillips (Domhnall Gleeson) and Francis "Mac" McNamara (Finn Wittrock), they live on two rafts, over the next few days they survive on the remaining rations until they run out, then on fish and rain water. On the 27th day, they get the attention of a passing Japanese plane, but it flies over and fires at them, damaging the rafts but missing them, Mac dies 6 days later of exhaustion, and finally on the 47th day, they are found by Japanese sailors. Louie and Phil are captured and become prisoners of war, taken to Kwajalein Atoll and kept in a dungeon, Louie finds out nine U.S. Marines have been held captive on the island, all have been beheaded. One day later, the Japanese ask Louie and Phil to tell them about E-class bombers and the Norden bomb sight, Louie states they flew D-class, on another day they are dragged, disrobed and kneel on planks, they believe it is their execution, the two are shocked that they are crudely washed to be shipped to mainland Japan, but they are separated and sent to different POW camps. Louie's camp, Ōmori, in Tokyo, is headed by Japanese corporal Mutsuhiro "The Bird" Watanabe (Takamasa Ishihara, aka Miyavi), he treats Louie cruelly, being a former Olympian and an American officer. Louie escapes torture when two Japanese newsmen give him the opportunity to broadcast a message home saying that he is alive, but he refuses to broadcast a second message with anti-American propaganda, so back at the camp Watanabe has each other prisoners punch him to teach him respect. Two years later Watanabe is promoted and leaves the camp, American forces bomb Tokyo and the camp is damaged, Louie and the other internees are forced to move to Naoetsu prison camp, Louie is horrified to find Watanabe in charge, he continues to suffer exhaustion and beatings. At the end of the war, Louie and the other prisoners in the camp are set free to return to their homes, Louie wanting to find Watanabe realises he has fled, back home in America, Louie kisses the ground and hugs his family. At the end of the film, a slideshow shows what happened to the real Louie Zamperini, he was married with two children, Phil survived and want on to marry his childhood sweetheart, Watanabe went into hiding for several years and evaded prosecution despite being listed in the top 40 most-wanted Japanese war criminals, and Louie lived out his devotion to God, forgiving his war-time captors and meeting many of them, Watanabe however refused to meet him. In 1998, Louie relived his time as a Olympian, running a leg of the Olympic Torch relay for the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, four days before his 81st birthday, he died aged 97 on 2nd July 2014. Also starring Garrett Hedlund as LCDR John Fitzgerald, Jai Courtney as Charlton Hugh "Cup" Cupernell, Maddalena Ischiale as Louise Zamperini, Vincenzo Amato as Anthony and Luke Treadaway as Miller. It is a pretty amazing story, self- proclaimed regular guy, who competed in the Olympics, survived 47 days of exhaustion and starvation at sea, capture and torture, and being singled out for special punishment in POW camps, Jolie directs conventionally, but really draws you in with the visceral scenes of struggle, balanced with some lighter moments, a most interesting wartime drama based on a true story. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing. Very good!
