Empire of the Sun (BD Book) [Blu-ray]

Stephen Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun is about one empire being eclipsed by another and how that impact a young boy. It starts with Christian Bale’s family in Shanghai going to a British prep school with his Chinese servants waiting on him. He returns home to his mansion. He tells his father they are lucky to live there meaning in their life of wealth and leisure. When the Japanese take Shanghai his entire life is turned upside down. That becomes the basis of a coming of age adventure story for the young Bale as he has to learn how to survive on his own.This is the kind of story that Spielberg excels at. He creates all kinds of memorable images like when Bale, who loves Japanese planes, salutes a group of Japanese pilots who salute him back. Another Bale looking at a dead woman who helped take care of him in the camp as bright lights shine across the sky which he believes is her soul going to haven.Bale is fantastic in his role. He’s rambunctious, inquisitive, smart and most of all caring even until the end.Overall it makes for a rich and memorable experience.

It's ironic that both "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Empire of the Sun" were finally released on Blu Ray the same day last week(Nov.13). Ironic for two reasons, the first being that they are "epic" films of the kind that is very rarely made today. And second because David Lean, the director of "Lawrence of Arabia" was originally scheduled to direct "Empire of the Sun" with Spielberg producing. Lean spent a year on the pre-production shortly after his return to filmmaking with "A Passage to India" (1984) after a fourteen year absence before finally turning the whole thing over to Spielberg. That was a wise decision because "Empire of the Sun" would have looked completely different had Lean actually made the picture himself. I've always liked "Empire of the Sun" since I first saw it at the old Cinema 21 theatre in San Diego upon it's release in December, 1987. I've owned every home video version of it from VHS and regular DVD and also purchased both the vinyl and CD of John Williams superb music score as well. Now with this brilliant new Blu Ray version thru Warner Home Video, my collection is complete. "Empire of the Sun" on Blu Ray is stunning to say the least. Every detail, no matter how small, is crystal clear. There is some minor grain in one scene filmed inside a rusting tanker that serves as a hideout for John Malkovich's character, but it doesn't last that long and doesn't detract from Allen Daviau's brilliant photography. Colors, period costumes, Japanese warplanes and everything else just pop off the screen. This is the best that "Empire" has looked since it was first released twenty-five years ago. Christian Bale is perfect as the young Jim Graham who comes of age after being separated from his mother in the crowded panic driven streets of Shanghai during the Japanese invasion of that city in 1941. Warning to all children: Do not let go of your mother's hand if you're ever in a situation like this. It's that separation, along with alienation and the loss of innocence that make "Empire" one of Spielberg's greatest films. It was his second "serious" film following "The Color Purple" in 1985 after making such entertaining and crowd pleasing films such as "Jaws", "ET", "Raiders of the Lost Ark", etc. He would go on to bigger heights and acclaim with "Schindler's List"(1993),"Saving Private Ryan"(1998) and the just released "Lincoln". His work on "Empire" certainly paved the way for those later films. Fans of Christain Bale won't be surprised to see how good he was as a young child actor in his first starring role if they only know him from the "Batman" films. As he proved in his Oscar winning role in "The Fighter" he was born to act. Spoiler alert: The final scene when Bale's character Jim is finally reunited with his mother and father is one of the most touching and heartrending scenes ever put on film. It was done with little dialogue and was the perfect ending to such an outstanding film. "Empire of the Sun" was praised by most of the critics at the time, but did not do well at the box office. It was nominated for six Oscars but was overshadowed that year by another film about China, Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Last Emperor" which won the Oscar as Best Picture. But that's okay because both films can stand on their own as filmmaking at it's best. This new Blu Ray Edition is a digibook release much like the other Warner digibook titles of the past few years. There is a second disc called "Warner at War" which is narrated by Steven Spielberg and covers the efforts of Warner Bros. studios during World War Two. There are many clips from Warner films of this era such as "Sgt. York" and "Yankee Doodle Dandy" among others. "Empire of the Sun" may not be as popular as some of Spielberg's other films, but it certainly deserves another look on Blu-ray and comes highly recommended.

Nine Things About the Film "Empire of the Sun"1. This is perhaps the best representation of the loss of innocence ever put on screen.2. It's the story of a British boy named Jim (played by 13-year-old Christian Bale in his very first movie) caught between China and Japan during WWII, and how he goes from being privileged and sheltered to being... somebody else.3. The movie is epic both externally and internally - huge scenes of wartime China juxtapose with huge shifts in Jim's psyche and emotional development.4. In some ways, this movie can be seen as a modern, wartime interpretation of the story of Buddha.5. The screenplay was written by the legendary Tom Stoppard, and the movie was directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg. I feel sorry for people that see Spielberg's name and think it's going to be like "Jurassic Park" or "E.T.". This is not a regular Spielberg movie. The partnership between Stoppard and Spielberg results in a film that is densely packed with ideas, allusions, metaphors, and symbols. You can peel it almost endlessly, and find something else to ponder.6. To really appreciate the context of the film, you have to know some basic history of World War II and Japanese culture.7. At certain scenes of the film the dialogue drops to a minimum, or even disappears entirely. These scenes are not breaks from the story. They are the real story. The most important ideas in the film are impossible to explain verbally, but must be communicated visually (and musically). They have to move past your talky-brain and deeper into who you are. The "Cadillac of the Sky/bones in the runway" scene is one of my most favorite scenes in all of cinema.7.5 The final minutes of the film are subtle, but devastating.8. The movie is about childhood, death, overthinking things, pragmatism, and the realization that you are not special. The world owes you nothing. You deal with that, or you die.9. It's impossible to fully explain in words the multi-layered masterpiece of this movie. It's a visually astonishing, existentially profound examination of the beauty and terror of being alive. From a kid's perspective.

Great to see this Epic presented in Blue Ray, what a difference to see it in such definition , What makes this film so interesting is it was actually filmed in China not some Hollywood studio so can see Shanghai and its western architecture and the great shots across the city along with the many extras required to make this a convincing representation of that bloody time in history . To have filmed this in China was a first I think for communist China to allow such a major Film be made there.The ex pat's residence were very convincing and interesting you really lost yourself and were transported into this World of Chaos mayhem and Death.Well worth watching not only for its story line but also the cinematography.

A young Christian Bale is very good.Carries the whole film.

The International Quarter of Shanghai is very well presented and also its virtual obliviousness to the Japanese invasion of China - until too late.

They don't often make films as good as this. Extremely enjoyable. A classic of its time.

Masterpiece, both from film point and scenography, costumography point. Christian Bale is awesome. Classic film from World War II in Asia.