Synopsis:

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

Brian's Rating: A- : This was a wonderful movie starring Christian Bale and John Malkovich.  It was Bale's feature film debut as a kid who's voice had not yet changed, and I must say that he shows star qualities even as a boy.  It must have been nice learning from the likes of Malkovich in this Spielberg directed drama.  It makes one wonder, was he verbally abusing lighting directors back then also?  Or did he learn that somewhere along the way?

A note about Spielberg.  I had a thought during the movie that he is actually a better director before he had to worry about incorporating CGI into films.  Having to deal with traditional effects, and framing shots with actual things in them is something I believe is a strength of his.  Although this movie is in 1987, the directing style in it does not feel old.  It feels fresh, and very well done, even compared to 22 years of advanced technology and methods incorporated into today's films.  Spielberg does a wonderful job of capturing the character of Jim (Bale).  The two of them work well together as you get a first hand view right into his soul.

Like many dramas, the movie is not about a whole lot.  A rich, British expatriate kid in Shang-hai gets separated from his parents at the outset of WW2.  China is invaded by Japan, and after the right amount of setup, he spends most of the movie interned in a Japanese work camp and learning how to get along in a world where he is not coddled.  He grows up in this camp, and he learns to be a survivor after stumbling into Malkovich, am American who is very good at making the best of his circumstances.

This movie is a reminder that there do exist older movies that are actually good.  It even had a Ben Stiller appearance.  I thoroughly enjoyed the film, and would easily watch it again.  For those of you looking for older gems that may have passed you buy, give this one a gander.

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