Regie:
Steven SpielbergDrehbuch:
Tom StoppardKamera:
Allen DaviauMusik:
John WilliamsBesetzung:
Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers, Joe Pantoliano, Leslie Phillips, Masayuki Ibu, Ben Stiller, Barrie Houghton (mehr)Streaming (4)
Inhalte(1)
Der elfjährige Jim führt mit seinen Eltern ein bequemes, abgeschirmtes Leben im britischen Viertel. Doch die Idylle ist trügerisch. Als die Japaner angreifen, wird Jim in der ausbrechenden Panik von seinen Eltern getrennt und muss nun versuchen, allein zu überleben. Auf seiner Odyssee trifft er auf die Amerikaner Basie und Frank, die ihn vor dem Verhungern retten. Doch bald geraten sie in die brutale Gewalt der Japaner und werden in ein Lager gesperrt. Hier lernt Jim, was Krieg ist – und wie man ihn überlebt. (Verleiher-Text)
(mehr)Kritiken (8)
Steven Spielberg has a long list of titles to his name throughout his illustrious career, and these have etched themselves into film history and the hearts of film fans. There is certainly a group of films that are undoubtedly more prominently known and their reviews overflow with enthusiasm that surpasses Empire of the Sun. However, when I look at Spielberg's work with some distance, I dare to declare that Empire of the Sun stands out from his filmography with its maturity, restraint, and avoidance of emotional manipulation (he simply works with emotions in a more civil and less manipulative way, at least compared to the famous Schindler's List). He captures pivotal historical events through the life story of a young boy who never destroyed an enemy airplane nor fired any weapon. However, unlike others, he managed to overcome separation from his family and survive in adverse conditions. The film received only a lukewarm reception in the United States, and this time Spielberg did not live up to his reputation as a blockbuster producer and money factory. But a film enthusiast with an eye for visual storytelling and great cinematic narratives will surely enjoy the superb depiction of crowd scenes, aerial maneuvers in the clouds, and the atmosphere of the concentration camp. Overall, it is arguably Spielberg's best contribution to world cinema: 100%.
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Spielberg can tell these stories like no-one else (in this case, so well that I'm surprised he wasn't awarded the golden statuette) and in an incredible way he was able to capture the atmosphere of the Second World War from a perspective I've probably never seen before. Christian Bale had already shown with his first role that great things could be expected of him, and in twenty years he’s managed to prove it, as evidenced by his current roles. Plus, John Malkovich and Joe Pantoliano make an excellent duo, and when Ben Stiller showed up I couldn't believe my eyes. It's quite fun to watch older movies with actors who were new stars at the time.
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Die Verfilmung des autobiografischen Buches von J. G. Ballard war etwas, auf das ich mich schon lange gefreut hatte. Ein interessantes Thema, eine tolle Besetzung (Christian Bale, Miranda Richardson, John Malkovich). Das Reich der Sonne mag in seiner Breite auch an Der Liebhaber nach Duras erinnern, aber ich befürchte, wie andere Spielberg-Retrofilme ist er leider veraltet. Dies ist also ein interessanter Ausflug in das Kino der 1980er Jahre. Der junge Bale war schon damals unglaublich talentiert, aber für ein tieferes Erlebnis hätte man den Film damals sehen müssen.
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The hell of war through the eyes of a young boy. A visually captivating and emotionally charged film that was highly underrated at the Oscars. Even though Christian Bale was only a boy, his performance can be considered as one of his best.
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Bestätigt: Jedes Mal, wenn ich mir diesen Film anschaue, bin ich gerührt. Für das großartige Erlebnis, das für mich Das Reich der Sonne jedes Mal vorbereitet, ist sicherlich auch meine Faszination für Flugzeuge verantwortlich (bei der Szene "Cadillac of the skies" bekomme ich immer Gänsehaut, die imaginäre Luftschlacht im abgestürzten Flugzeug ist perfekt usw.). Den größten Beitrag haben aber nach wie vor Spielbergs Präzision, Williams’ Filmmusik sowie Bale und Malkovich geleistet. Zu wenigen Filmen passt das Adjektiv "schön" so gut wie zu diesem Werk.
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An amazingly portrayed real story told from a child’s perspective, which is hurt a little by its excessive runtime and having too many endings. But every scene is so masterfully put together and each of those endings are so emotionally strong and semantically different (which is important), that there’s nothing to complain about. It should be swimming in Oscars, at least for he music and the cinematography.
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A very romantic take on a Japanese internment camp, which made me regularly suspect several times during the film whether this was the protagonist's fever dream. With The Color Purple, for the first time, you could see the problem of a director's hysterical reverence when depicting major themes, which dilutes the viewing experience. Empire of the Sun presents another of his problems, namely the need to use his directorial skills to highlight traumatic moments in history, but without traumatizing the viewer. This aspect of his personality stems from the fact that as a filmmaker he takes on an exaggerated responsibility for his works, so while he wants us to be aware of the oppression and suffering depicted, he doesn't want to present it to us and instead tries to simulate the importance of the events through the enormity of the film. And he succeeds spectacularly indeed. The air raid on the airport is absolutely breathtaking.
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Steven Spielberg is not my favorite and this movie didn't change that. I hadn't seen it before, only now. And I have to appreciate how well he managed to capture the time and the setting. Spielberg has a gift for that, as well as for building a story. This time it is relatively darker than usual, but it still didn't touch my heart. However, Christian Bale already showed his qualities back then.
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