Empire Of The Sun is a 1987 period film directed by Steven Spielberg based on the novel of the same name by J. G. Ballard. It was made by Amblin Entertainment and released by Warner Bros.

Jamie “Jim” Graham (Christian Bale) is a British national living on China. After the outbreak of the Second World War, he is separated from his parents and soon finds himself captured by the invading Japanese. He soon finds himself in an internment where he joins a black market trading scheme with Basie (John Malkovich). He becomes friends with Dr. Rawlins (Nigel Havers) whom he confides that he cannot remember his parents.

I have not read the book by J.B. Ballard, so I will just review this as a film on its own merits.

Steven Spielberg is a genius and this film proves it. Yes, I know that he has had a few stinkers over the years, but this is a fantastic movie. He crafts a compelling story that pulls you into the story.

What helps is the performance of Christian Bale. We might know him as Batman, but this is when he is just a kid and he truly shines. Compounded with brilliant performances from others like Malkovich, he does an incredible in this role and he sells it as a young boy who is caught in the middle of a war.

Of course, the music by John Williams is superb. He composes an amazing soundtrack in both the background sequences and the moments where the music is at the forefront. He is a master of his craft and this movie definitely shows it.

I also appreciated the attention to detail with the history. While some facts were creatively redone, the way World War 2 affected everyone is shown on full display here. You get a sense of the heaviness many of the Americans and Brits who were abroad were drawn into the violence with seemingly no hope for rescue.

Bottom line, Empire Of The Sun is Steven Spielberg at his finest. With dynamic acting from Christian Bale and an enthralling plot, you are pulled into the movie.

FAVORITE QUOTE: Do you know where we are? We’re here, see? And now we have to turn left. Do you hear me? When I say turn left, you turn left! When I say turn right, turn right! You have to do what I say otherwise we’ll never get to Soochow then you’ll be shot!

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Strong violence, Foul language, Crude humor, Suggestive themes

Check out the trailer below:

That is my review. What did you think? Let me know in the comments below and tell me if there’s a movie you’d like me to review. Check out my thoughts on the popular anime flick Ghost In The Shell and The Princess & The Pilot. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

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This article has been updated from a previous version.