|
Empire of the Sun (1987) 7.7
Ratings:
7.7/10 from 59,451 users
Metascore: 60/100
Reviews: 268 user | 52 critic | 17 from Metacritic.com A young English boy struggles to survive under Japanese occupation during World War II. Director:Steven Spielberg |
| Watch Trailer 0Share... |
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Empire of the Sun (1987)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
People who liked this also liked...
The Thin Red Line
(1998)
Drama
|
War
Director:
Terrence Malick
Stars:
Nick Nolte,
Jim Caviezel,
Sean Penn
The Dirty Dozen
(1967)
Action
|
Drama
|
War
Director:
Robert Aldrich
Stars:
Lee Marvin,
Ernest Borgnine,
Charles Bronson
Memphis Belle
(1990)
Action
|
Drama
|
War
Director:
Michael Caton-Jones
Stars:
Matthew Modine,
Eric Stoltz,
Tate Donovan
Hamburger Hill
(1987)
Drama
|
War
|
Action
Director:
John Irvin
Stars:
Anthony Barrile,
Michael Boatman,
Don Cheadle
The Patriot
(2000)
Action
|
Drama
|
War
Director:
Roland Emmerich
Stars:
Mel Gibson,
Heath Ledger,
Joely Richardson
Cross of Iron
(1977)
Action
|
Drama
|
War
Director:
Sam Peckinpah
Stars:
James Coburn,
Maximilian Schell,
James Mason
To End All Wars
(2001)
Drama
|
War
|
Action
Director:
David L. Cunningham
Stars:
Ciarán McMenamin,
Robert Carlyle,
Kiefer Sutherland
U-571
(2000)
Action
|
Drama
|
Thriller
Director:
Jonathan Mostow
Stars:
Matthew McConaughey,
Bill Paxton,
Harvey Keitel
Twelve O'Clock High
(1949)
Action
|
Drama
|
War
Director:
Henry King
Stars:
Gregory Peck,
Hugh Marlowe,
Gary Merrill
The Big Red One
(1980)
Action
|
Drama
|
War
Director:
Samuel Fuller
Stars:
Lee Marvin,
Mark Hamill,
Robert Carradine
The Great Raid
(2005)
Action
|
Drama
|
War
Director:
John Dahl
Stars:
Benjamin Bratt,
James Franco,
Robert Mammone
Days of Glory
(2006)
Drama
|
War
Director:
Rachid Bouchareb
Stars:
Jamel Debbouze,
Samy Naceri,
Roschdy Zem
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Christian Bale | ... | ||
| John Malkovich | ... | ||
| Miranda Richardson | ... |
Mrs. Victor
|
|
| Nigel Havers | ... |
Dr. Rawlins
|
|
| Joe Pantoliano | ... | ||
| Leslie Phillips | ... |
Maxton
|
|
 |
Masatô Ibu | ... |
Sgt. Nagata
|
|
|
Emily Richard | ... |
Mary Graham, Jim's mother
|
|
|
Rupert Frazer | ... |
John Graham, Jim's father
|
|
|
Peter Gale | ... |
Mr. Victor
|
|
|
Takatarô Kataoka | ... |
Kamikaze Boy Pilot
(as Takatoro Kataoka)
|
| Ben Stiller | ... |
Dainty
|
|
|
|
David Neidorf | ... |
Tiptree
|
| Ralph Seymour | ... |
Cohen
|
|
| Robert Stephens | ... |
Mr. Lockwood
|
|
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Based on J. G. Ballard's autobiographical novel, tells the story of a boy, James Graham, whose privileged life is upturned by the Japanese invasion of Shanghai, December 8, 1941. Separated from his parents, he is eventually captured, and taken to Soo Chow confinement camp, next to a captured Chinese airfield. Amidst the sickness and food shortages in the camp, Jim attempts to reconstruct his former life, all the while bringing spirit and dignity to those around him. Written by Jeff Hansen <jmh@umich.edu>
Taglines:
To survive in a world at war, he must find a strength greater than all the events that surround him.Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
See more »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
25 December 1987 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
El imperio del sol See more »Box Office
Budget:
$38,000,000 (estimated)Gross:
$22,238,696 (USA)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Narrator: [title card] In 1941 China and Japan had been in a state of undeclared war for four years. A Japanese army of occupation was in control of much of the countryside and many towns and cities. In Shanghai thousands of Westerners, protected by the diplomatic security of the International Settlement, continued to live as they had lived since the British came here in the 19th century and built in the image of their own country... built banking houses, hotels, offices, churches and homes ...
See more »
Performed by Elizabeth Welch
Courtesy of EMI Records Limited
See more »
Did You Know?
Goofs
Jim could not have witnessed the atomic bomb explosion in Japan with anything approaching the detail shown in the film. The distance from the Chinese mainland to Nagasaki, at its nearest point (roughly 475 miles), is further than the distance from the Trinity test site in New Mexico to Denver, Colorado (roughly 450 miles.) The distance from mainland China to Hiroshima is even further (roughly 640 miles.) Even allowing for no terrain obstacles, the curvature of the earth at such a distance precludes anything more than a brief dim glow on the horizon. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Narrator: [title card] In 1941 China and Japan had been in a state of undeclared war for four years. A Japanese army of occupation was in control of much of the countryside and many towns and cities. In Shanghai thousands of Westerners, protected by the diplomatic security of the International Settlement, continued to live as they had lived since the British came here in the 19th century and built in the image of their own country... built banking houses, hotels, offices, churches and homes ...
See more »
Soundtracks
"A NIGHTINGALE SANG IN BERKELEY SQUARE"Performed by Elizabeth Welch
Courtesy of EMI Records Limited
See more »
Empire of the Sun, I have just revisited this film on DVD and was amazed the effect it left on me. This is almost an unknown film relative to most other Spielberg work. The DVD is not even available in Australia, so I had it 'Amazoned' from the US.
Christian Bales performance as the 12 year old Jim is mesmerizing. He is in virtually every scene of the 2.5 hour movie and gives us the full range of emotions. He also one of the best looking kids I've seen, which add tremendously to the viewing appeal of the movie. A true heart throb in the making.
As a history lesson Empire give us an insight to the happenings in China in WWII, and the ambitions of the Japanese Empire, which are never touched on in other WWII movies.
The most emotional part of the film for me: Jim is looking through the fence at the Japanese airbase, the sun is setting, he is dreaming of flying in those incredible machines, pilots are smartly uniformed and decorated, offices passing drinks to the young pilots, superb music playing, Zeros ready to go, Jim salutes the Japanese heroes as they are flying out. What we know is that the war is lost for Japan and these pilots are surely on Kamikaze suicide missions. We feel great empathy for these fellow human beings despite the fact that they are the enemy.
The images in Empire are beautiful to look at, the movie is thought provoking and provide some history lesson, if somewhat fantasy and sacrine sweet. A behind the scenes war movie with heart. My favourite Spielberg movie and in my top 15 of all time. Other favourites in no order. Titanic, Patton, Unforgiven, Airport, Terminator, Salaam Bombay, 2001, Bridge on River Kwai, Minority Report.