UNBROKEN - 2014

Films of war are so common now, everything that did or could happened has been recreated in one way or another, whether it be soldiers in the midst of a heavy battle taking fire from every angle, a rescue mission attempting to free trapped civilians by a specialist team, a prison camp and the harshness it endures or the last survivor of a family being brought home after his siblings are lost. One thing we have never really seen though is one man’s story and all the hardships he goes through in one lifetime during a lifetime of war. Unbroken is Angelina Jollies third attempt at a major release this time though she got Ethan and Joel Coen on board to write the screenplay. So we know she can act somewhat but how is she when it comes to directing?

Unbroken is the true life story of Louis “Louie” Zamperini an Italian-American and his life. The film begins with Louie as a bombardier in the United States Army Air Force flying in a B-24 Liberator bomber, and one of their successful attacks on a Japanese Island from here the film jumps back to a much younger Louis. A trouble maker; he drinks, smokes and starts fights with the other boys. One day after being busted catching a glimpse up some girl’s dress beneath the bleachers, Louis brother Peter watches Louis run desperate to get away and decides he will train him to be the best he can be as a runner where Louis makes it to the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin…. The film jumps forward again back to 1943 where Louis and his crew are back in the air on another mission, this time however the bomber aircraft they are in falls out of the sky and crashes into the ocean. Louis and two others from the crew make it onto a raft, where they wait to be rescued. Days and nights pass with the hope of being rescued slowly fading away, as their sanity slowly begins to fail as well, eventually the survivors are rescued but unfortunately it’s not by their allies…. (Too much to give away if I say anymore here)

At first I wasn’t over enthused to see this film, thinking it would be just another run of the mill war film, nothing new to happen but for a few new camera shots and maybe some tricky camera work. The way the film opens was absolutely stunning, the camera work in certain scenes was epic and should be respected for what was presented. Amazing action sequences high in the sky something I have never seen done so well. I was a little excited for what was to come but unfortunately I hate to say, it seems as though all the good juice was used for the first 15mins, the film then turns into a sadistic styled torture snuff feature. I understand that it is based on the biography of Louis Zamperini and I hold my hat high to everything the guy went through, I just feel it could have been told or more to the point shown very differently to what has been delivered. The film works well and tells the story that needed to be told personally though I would have loved to have seen what the Coen brothers would have delivered instead.

The camera work is superb the locations are amazing, the script is harsh and sometimes a little forced, and the score is inspiring I’m sure Angelina only had the best intentions to bring this story to life I just don’t think she pulled off the film the story is worthy of. Running longer than it should never helps either. Starring Jack O'Connell (Skins, 300 – Rise of an Empire) as Louis Zamperini, I’m sure everyone that knew the real man in life would have loved the character Jack O’Connell portrays in the film. Takamasa Ishihara (is actually a musician known as Miyavi) as Mutsuhiro “The Bird” Watanabe, he is very believable in his role at times absolutely horrific, Domhnall Gleeson (as Phil, Harry Potter, True Grit) Garrett Hedlund (Tron, Troy) as Fitzgerald, Finn Wittrock (American Horror Story, Winter’s Tale) as Mac.

Unbroken isn’t anything new, it has been done before, but what you won’t get is the story of one man’s fight to survive when even the Gods are telling him to give up. Not an ideal family film but seeing a film that was to be banned when released in Japan because it gave them a bad image could be a great thing to discuss after the credits role.

Unbroken – 3.5 out of 5 BanShee Screams

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