1987's Empire of the Sun was a box office failure although this doesn't mean it's a bad movie. Starring a 12 year old Christian Bale before his Batman career. Empire of the Sun tells the story of Jamie Graham later nicknamed "Jim" as he is separated from his parents when Japan attacked his hometown of Shanghai.
A lonely ventures back into his parents' old mansion and eat food scraps for a few weeks. He ventures into Shanghai to fins his parents but is instead found by Basie, an American who uses Jamie as a tool much like Fagin in Oliver Twist. Jamie and Basie are transported to a Japanese Labor Camp where he lives with both British and American incidents. There, he befriends a Japanese teenager who aspires to be a kamikaze. The sad part is due to hectic experiences in the labor camp, Jamie eventually forgotten how his parents looked like.
But all ends well, Jamie is sent to an orphanage where kids have either lost of got separated from their parents during the war. As other kids wait anxiously to be reunited with their parents, Jamie stands quietly and weeps. However, his mother comes and convinces Jamie who he is and bla bla bla... The end.
I give this movie an 8.5/10. It is full of epic grandeur and drama as well as several good laughs. The CGI scenes where the American Mustangs bomb the labor camp are reasonably well done. The type of drama is also unique. Example, compared to The Godfather where the drama keeps you amazed, Empire of the Sun digs into your emotion. Don't be surprised if you cry watching this film.
Steven Spielberg's friend and collaborator John Williams who composed music for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws, E.T., Harry Potter and Superman introduced an epic score spearheaded by the choir based Suo Gan which is in Welsh language. Also, a very young Ben Stiller gets a small role in this movie. Fortunately, he's not hard to spot.
Schindler's List is one of Steven Spielberg's most critically acclaimed movies. Although it doesn't have the cultural significance of Jaws, E.T., Close Encounters With the Third Kind and Jurassic Park, this film is reasonably well made. Unfortunately, this film is kinda strange especially for a film directed by Spielberg. I'll tell you why later.
The movie tells the legendary tales of German businessman Oskar Schindler(played by a very young Liam Neeson) who owns a metal factory. He initially sees Jewish people as cheap workers for his factory due to the fact that he needs not pay their salary. Due to the fact that the Germans enjoy shooting the Jews, he gets a compensation by the German army which profits him further.
Despite this, he treated his workers much better than the Germans. He also befriends his Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern as well as tyrannical German SS commander Amon Goth. One day, Oskar witnesses Jews being executed by the thousands in the Plaszow Camp. This makes him warmer to the Jews and so the legend grew that his factory is a refuge for Jews. Desperate Jews attempt to enlist themselves or family members in his factory and this fustrates him. He eventually accepts most of the request.
In their gratitude to Schindler, the Jews worked quickly and productively. Thus, earning Schindler a truckload of money. He also advises Amon Goth that the power of compassion is greater than the power to kill. Amon almost came to his senses twice but in the end falls into evil. First, He pardons a Jewish servant who failed to clean his bathroom properly but shoots the boy when he exits his house. Second, he became friendly to his Jewish maid as if like a lover but ends up whacking her.
Schindler is toched further during his birthday party where German SS Officers are invited including Amon Goth. The Jews present him with a simple cake, however he thanks them and kisses one of them in the forehead. Enraged at Schindler's compassion, Amon orders Schindler to be put in jail for kissing a Jew.
Schindler finally made his decision to save the Jews when he witnesses the incineration of Jewish bodies killed by the gas chamber executions. He then compiles a list of 1,200 people and shows them to Amon and says that he needs more workers for his factory. The move is greenlit due to the fact that other Germans are stealing Schindler's Jews. Schindler counters this problem by bribing SS Officers.
Back at the factory, Schindler forces his workers to make bullets that won't fire. Thus, causes him to go bankrupt. One day, Schindler announces Germany's defeat in the war and explains that British Law is replacing laws set by Germans. In British law, Schindler will be executed due to the fact that he benefited from slavery. He says he will spend his final hours in Germany with his workers before he exiles himself.
The aged Jews pull out their gold teeth and melted them to make a gold ring for Schindler. As he is presented with the gift, Schindler is depressed about not being able to save more Jews and stated his car and jewelry could save at least a dozen more lives. Itzhak Stern however consoles him and bids farewell before he leaves Germany with his wife.
Only 4,000 Jews are alive in Poland by 1990. But the descendants of Schindler's Jews number by 6,000 all over the world. Today, we may be talking about at least 10,000 Jews are alive today because of Schindler's actions.
No wonder Pastor Koshy wanted to screen Schindler's List at the church.
Now I tell you why the movie is weird. To depict a reality of the Jews sufferings, Steven Spielberg had his actors and actresses in the nude at certain scenes so the "those things" are clearly visible. Now imagine Steven Spielberg directing a bunch of naked goons...LOL....
However, this ilm can be scary at times because unlike Indiana Jones where Nazi's are just power crazed villains, Spielberg portrayed the Nazi's in Schindler's List as pure evil. As if they are Satan's servants. The amount of emotion in this film is also equal to Empire of the Sun. However, the scary-ness of this film caused me not to enjoy it too much.
Spielberg also stated if he'd done Schindler's List first, he would not have been able to direct Jurassic Park due to the amount of emotion in the movie. True enough, studio executives forced Spielberg to do his dinosaur epic before he did Schindler's List. Wise move as Jurassic Park earned more than 900 million dollars worldwide. Schindler's List was a big hit at the oscars, winning Best Picture and Best Director.
John Williams composed a piano ballad soundtrack for the film. At times, a horrifying theme (kinda like combining horror movie soundtracks with Darth Vader's theme) is used. The film is reasonably well made although it would be better in the eyes of Western film critics.
I give it 8/10 although the cultural significance of Schindler's List is almost equal to The Godfather.
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