Unbroken (5 Viewers)

BLReed

BLReed

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Opening Christmas Day.
http://www.unbrokenfilm.com/

Unbroken, an epic drama that follows the incredible life of Olympian and war hero Louis "Louie" Zamperini (Jack O'Connell) who, along with two other crewmen, survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash in WWII-only to be caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.
 
I read his biography and I'm looking forward to the film.

I have to read the book again, though, because I saw a trailer for the movie, and I don't remember the combat scenes. Zamperini was captured after his B-24 crashed while on a search mission (ironically, they were searching for another B-24 that had gone down).

Prost!
Brad
 
Well, I wouldn't think it would be a box office sell out in Japan. Also got snubbed for Golden Globes

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_JAPAN_OUTRAGED_OVER_UNBROKEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

"Angelina Jolie's new movie "Unbroken" has not been released in Japan yet, but it has already struck a nerve in a country still wrestling over its wartime past.

The buzz on social networks and in online chatter is decidedly negative over the film, which depicts a U.S. Olympic runner who endures torture at a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp during World War II."
 
I think it is already on here as made here and premiere was here I think early last week. I note it is opening on Christmas Day in USA, not exactly Christmas type movie and don't think going to be on my list for the holiday period.

Has been interesting to see that some Japanese not happy about how it portrays their treatment of POWS, as though their reputation is being slandered. I think there was a suggestion Angelina should be banned from Japan ! Probably best if they keep quiet as otherwise a lot of people going to remind them what actually happened.
 
On this topic, the Japanese can cram it with walnuts.

Zamperini's torturer survived the war, evaded arrest and trial for war crimes, and achieved a position of some comfort and wealth. I can only pray that he's suffering in an afterlife, since he escaped punishment in this one.
 
Unfortunately, the Japanese policy has been to sweep war crimes under the rug. This has caused problems with its neighbors such as Korea and China. In the end, one hopes that time heals all wounds.

There was a movie out this year about similar events beetwen a British POW and his former Japanese captor where they eventually had a reconciliation and spread a message of forgiveness and peace for the rest of their lives.
 
I just saw this...and while it's not 100% a "war movie"...more than 50% of it is devoted to his time as a soldier and most specifically his time in the prison camp...

I can certainly see why it will not be well received in Japan...the character "Bird"...that plays the head of the prison camps...was portrayed as an extremely sadistic officer to the Americans...

it is a very good movie and has a few really exciting airplane bomber scenes in it...

but a question to anyone that has read the book...

my hearing is far from perfect...and as there are no closed captions at the theater...I may have missed it...

but in the book...or real life...did Louis Zamperini compete and beat the officer (Watanabe) of the prison camp in his Olympic event...the reason I ask...was that there was an Asian contestant in the Olympic event that the camera seemed to focus on quite a bit that resembled the character Watanabe...

can anyone that read the book comment please?...
 
mikemiller1955 said:
but in the book...or real life...did Louis Zamperini compete and beat the officer (Watanabe) of the prison camp in his Olympic event...the reason I ask...was that there was an Asian contestant in the Olympic event that the camera seemed to focus on quite a bit that resembled the character Watanabe...

can anyone that read the book comment please?...
Click to expand...

Hi, Mike,

I have not seen the movie yet, so I'm not sure I understand your question. Do you mean that there is a Japanese or other Asian in the '36 Olympics? If so, that may be made up, but historically, no, Watanabe was not an Olympic athlete and did not compete in the Games, as far as I know. He did evade capture after the war, however, by both the Allied and Japanese authorities, became a wealthy businessman and died a free man.

Prost!
Brad
 
theBaron said:
Hi, Mike,

I have not seen the movie yet, so I'm not sure I understand your question. Do you mean that there is a Japanese or other Asian in the '36 Olympics? If so, that may be made up, but historically, no, Watanabe was not an Olympic athlete and did not compete in the Games, as far as I know. He did evade capture after the war, however, by both the Allied and Japanese authorities, became a wealthy businessman and died a free man.

Prost!
Brad
Click to expand...

Brad...

yes...exactly...

in the movie...there was an Asian/Japanese in Zamperini's Olympic event...that the camera seemed to fixate on a few times during the race...it was never declared to be Watanabe...I just assumed that was the message the director was sending to the audience and that was the reason he was persecuted in camp by this officer...

since seeing the movie...I have done a small amount of research on Watanbe myself...he was a sick/sadistic individual claiming he got a sexual thrill from beating prisoners...

thanks for the confirmation...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutsuhiro_Watanabe
 
I recall reading somewhere, Louis wanted to visit the Bird to say that he forgave him, but the Bird refused to see him.
 
Mike I just read the book and seen the movie. No the Japanese at the Olympics s not Wananabe. I think it was just sort of ironic that Zamperini was looking at the guy and later on he would learn to despise them.
As I recall in the book they never actually beat Wananabe but they had a plan to attack him, attach a big rock to him and throw him in the water. But before that happened the war ended.
Very good movie, I really enjoyed the air combat scenes also.
Funny, after the movie I asked my wife if the movie was to brutal for her, the beating etc. And she said that didn,t bother her but she had to turn away when they caught and killed that seagull on the raft! Go figure. Animals always seem to get more sympathy.
Gary
 
gk5717 said:
Mike I just read the book and seen the movie. No the Japanese at the Olympics s not Wananabe. I think it was just sort of ironic that Zamperini was looking at the guy and later on he would learn to despise them.
As I recall in the book they never actually beat Wananabe but they had a plan to attack him, attach a big rock to him and throw him in the water. But before that happened the war ended.
Very good movie, I really enjoyed the air combat scenes also.
Funny, after the movie I asked my wife if the movie was to brutal for her, the beating etc. And she said that didn,t bother her but she had to turn away when they caught and killed that seagull on the raft! Go figure. Animals always seem to get more sympathy.
Gary
Click to expand...

hehehe...Gary...the "eating the seagull" scene was tolerable...the results of eating the seagull was a little hard to watch...

but I agree...great air combat scenes...do you think those big bombers had that much success in shooting down the Japanese fighters...or was that embellished a bit?

my friend cried several times during the movie...but she's always been a bit of a "drama queen"...

good title...it was definitely a story of a man's willpower to overcome...

I believe he lived to age 97...just passing in 2014...
 
Saw this on cable the other day and was very impressed with it. Well written, well acted, and terrific action sequences. Liked the sequences with the B-24. The story is quite a testament to the individual and what he can withstand. -- Al
 
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