Film Review: Unbroken

SPOILER ALERT

THIS REVIEW *WILL* CONTAIN  SPOILERS

That's right folks I'm writing a movie review! So without further ado, here is my perspective on Unbroken.

This was actually the fist movie I've seen in a theater in quite a while. I was trolling the internet out of boredom and stumbled onto what looked like just my type of movie. I am a huge World War II history buff. I guess that's what happens when you grow up watching too much Hogan's Heroes. As my usual history focus it toward the Allies/Germans side of the war, I eagerly looked forward to perhaps learn about the Japanese side of things.

This movie focuses on the early life of Olympic athlete Louis Zamperini, and his truly amazing story of spending 47 days lost at sea followed by two years in a Japanese POW camp. The movie opens with "Zam" (As he's called in the movie and as I will refer to him starting now) on a bombing mission. His earlier life is shown to us in a series of 'Life flashing before my eyes' flashbacks. Say what you will about this filming style, I actually like it.

While on a rescue mission, his crew's absolute lemon of a bomber ends up crashing into the Pacific. Out of a crew of 7(?) only Zam, and two others, Phil and Mac survive. So begins their epic 47 days on a raft. I found it quite funny that when some sharks appear at the beginning of their voyage when some sharks appeared, I actually said "It would be cool if they could catch one, They could eat for a week easy!" and lo and behold, that's what they do. At the beginning Mac ends up eating the majority of the rescue rations and I completely hate him for it. however I truly shed a tear over his untimely death as he redeemed himself quite well.

"I have good news and bad news"

Despite the terrible implications of what is happening, that line was so perfect I couldn't help but laugh at it. Zam and Phil are captured by the Japanese navy, beaten to a pulp, split up from each other, and shipped off to a grimy POW camp. Here we first lay eyes on "Bird".

                                             

I'm just going to say it right now. This actors facial expressions are the most meme worthy I have ever seen.

Zam is brutally beaten and tortured by this man and for some of you that might be hard to watch. It didn't bother me but I have seen that quite a good number of people found this movie extremely hard to watch. If you get squeamish over harsh injustices, this movie is not for you.

He does however get a break from all this when a Tokyo radio station offers him the chance to broadcast to his family that he is in fact alive. However we find out afterward that there is a catch. The broadcasters would like him to stick around for propaganda broadcasts. He refuses to which he gets the response "Do you want to go back to camp?"

I found it interesting how after Bird leaves the camp, everybody just seams to get on with life and the beatings and mistreatment stop. What I get out of this is that the whole 'I was just following orders' excuse just doesn't hold up. 

Truth is stranger than fiction, as the old saying goes. And if this wasn't based on a true story I would have had serious problems with this film. The unbelievable coincidence of being sent to another camp under the same commandant is crazy. What are the chances?! clearly Zam shared my thoughts as he quickly fainted. Life in this prison camp actually made the old one look quite cushy by comparison. Forced to work coal barges, his condition goes down quickly and the beatings get more severe. It is here that we get the title picture where Zam is forced to lift a heavy piece of timber under threat of death if he drops it. He not only keeps it up but also bravely defies Bird by looking him square in the eye.

The ending of the movie showing how our hero eventually did get to run in the Olympic games in Japan, albeit at the age of 80 gave me the biggest smile I've ever had in a movie. He could take it, and he did make it.

Overall I thought this movie was extremely well made despite only being Director Jolie's second time directing a film. The story was great and I even learned some things along the way. Yes this film could be hard to watch for some people but I still completely enjoyed it. It made history so real for me, and I loved that. I give this film my seal of approval and a solid 5/5.