The domestic evaluation of this film is slightly polarized, generally revolving around the beautification of the Japanese army and the one-sided shaping of the Chinese people. But I didn't think too much about it. In my opinion, the theme of this film itself is vague. If you insist on the previous theme, it is probably an exposure of the simplicity and ugliness of human nature. The movie was ok, but not as high as I expected.
The opening chapter lays the groundwork for the confusion of the protagonist's self-identity growing up in a foreign country. He is British, grew up in China, but worships Japanese fighter jets. There are also many descriptions of the chaotic protagonist in the back, such as the communication with the Japanese pilots, and the singing of hymns like hymns when the Japanese pilots went on expedition.
I haven't read Schindler's List, but I've always heard that this one, like Empire of the Sun, shows the humanity of all sides in the war, ugly or beautiful, regardless of their position. But it seems that Spielberg has gone a little too far in Empire of the Sun. He is Jewish and American, he knows the tragic war in Europe, he understands the psychology of Europe and the United States towards war, but he is not Asian or East Asian, and he does not understand how people on the Asian battlefield view Japan. In addition to the time when the film was filmed, in 1987, it is no wonder that he can show the ugliness of the Chinese people in the film.
Although this show shows the ugliness of the Japanese, the ugliness of the British, and the ugliness of the Americans, almost all of them are portrayed with humanity. This vivid portrayal will make people think more, not limited to impressions of the characters themselves. But Spielberg's portrayal of the Chinese is quite facial, which makes me really feel strange, so what's the point of putting the film's background in China? Just to show "Empire of the Sun"? There is no tragic war, or the tragic we are familiar with, everything is blurred into the background. But foreigners do not understand the situation of the Chinese battlefield, they only know the Pacific Ocean and Europe. So none of this matters anymore. But I just can't ignore this. The so-called concentration camps here are much better than what happened on the vast Chinese soil outside.
I understand that this film is actually adapted from a novel, and I have never read a novel. From the point of view of the film itself, the director has really done a lot of things of unknown meaning. It is full of symbols, which are too symbolic and seem rather dramatic. and exaggeration. When I watched it, I kept trying to find more meanings from it, but then I suddenly felt that the director's idea was very simple, I just thought too much.
So it probably doesn't matter if he praised the Japanese army for smearing China, because he didn't really think that much, he just wanted to show a little boy's admiration for the hero he thinks, and the pursuit of ideals in the turbulent times of war. a life.
That's all.
2015-4-16
View more about Empire of the Sun reviews
