Empire of the Sun (1987)

VHS CASE/SIDE

Length of film:  154 Minutes 

Rated: PG   

Genre: Action, Drama, History

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers, Joe Pantoliano, Leslie Phillips, Ben Stiller

IMDB Rank: 7.7/10

Part 1 Time:  100 Minutes 

Part 2 Time:  54 Minutes

Where does the first part end? Jim (Christian Bale) is given his own space in the American dorm at the Soochow Creek Interment Camp.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: “How you doin Frank?” Jim speaks as he lies out on his new bed.

First line of dialogue on the second part: “Okay, river is pretty much due East, work up the bank.” Dainty (Ben Stiller) speaks with Basie and others about a potential escape.

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal, Jim is now in the Soochow Creek Interment Camp. He is doing well by running errands for other captives and is now apart of the American group. But will Jim ever escape the interment camp and be reunited with his mother and father

Which part is better? Part one is better as we are able to see the turmoil in Shanghai during Japan’s invasion during World War Two. Jim must use his wits to stay out of danger and continues to defy the odds.

Academy Awards: Best Cinematography (Nominated), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Nominated), Best Costume Design (Nominated), Best Sound (Nominated), Best Film Editing (Nominated), Best Music-Original Score (Nominated)