Empire of the Sun (1987)

A young English boy struggles to survive under Japanese occupation during World War II.

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers:

Tom Stoppard (screenplay), J.G. Ballard (novel)

Stars:

Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christian Bale	...	Jim
John Malkovich	...	Basie
Miranda Richardson	...	Mrs. Victor
Nigel Havers	...	Dr. Rawlins
Joe Pantoliano	...	Frank Demarest
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

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.

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Plot Keywords:

battle | murder | chase | explosion | student | 

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Taglines:

To survive in a world at war, he must find a strength greater than all the events that surround him.

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese Mandarin Shanghainese

Release Date:

25 December 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Empire of the Sun

Filming Locations:

UK

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,314,509, 13 December 1987, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$22,238,696

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$66,700,000, 31 December 1987

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amblin Entertainment, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

153 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mark Rylance was offered a part, but took a stage role instead. He would work with Steven Spielberg over 25 years later, in Bridge of Spies (2015).

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Goofs

During the very last shot of Jim's suitcase floating in the river, a rope is visibly tied to its top right corner, leading off the right side of the screen, keeping the suitcase from drifting out of the shot.

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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 ...

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Connections

Featured in Here's Looking at You, Warner Bros. (1991)

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Soundtracks

The British Grenadiers
Traditional
Arranged and Conducted by John Williams

User Reviews

Extraordinary film

Reading through the reviews, there were a lot of people who didn't understand this film. This is Spielberg's venture into the realm of art in cinematography. This film is a visual masterpiece and you are swept along from beginning to end. Yes, the tale gets a bit loose in spots and you never know what's going to happen next. But, if you're willing to give up warm and fuzzy for lush visual images and startling leaps of character, you'll see what Spielberg's trying to accomplish. This film makes use of the talents of Miranda Richardson and gives some early exposure to the likes of John Malkovich and Ben Stiller, but young Christian Bale steals the show. The reviewer that commented on the "gothic" effect of the Tai-Pan's going to the costume ball being driven through Shanghai was right on. This film is rife with such scenes and does not disappoint. It's wholly misleading to look for some kind of action story underlying this film. The tale, taken from the book, is straightforward enough: a young boy's boost into manhood through the second world war. The film is full of memorable moments and visually very, very pleasing. As art, it is excellent. That's likely why it wasn't a blockbuster, as say, e.g., Poltergeist, Close Encounters and the Jurassic Park films, were. But, hey. That's the cost of creating art as opposed to crap. And, crap does draw a lot of flies...