Unbroken (film)
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''Unbroken'' is a 2014 American war
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
produced and directed by
Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie ( ; born Angelina Jolie Voight, , June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Angelina Jolie, numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards ...
and written by the Coen brothers, Richard LaGravenese, and William Nicholson. It is based on the non-fiction book by Laura Hillenbrand, '' Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption'' (2010). The film stars Jack O'Connell as Army officer Louis "Louie" Zamperini, an American Olympian, and Miyavi as
Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...
(IJA) corporal Mutsuhiro Watanabe. Zamperini survived in a raft for 47 days after his bomber ditched in the ocean during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, before being captured by the Japanese and being sent to a series of
prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
camps. Filming took place in Australia from October 2013 to February 2014. ''Unbroken'' had its world premiere in
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
on November 17, 2014, followed by a
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square on November 26, 2014. The film was released in the United States on December 25, 2014. It received mixed reviews from critics, though praise was given to O'Connell's performance, Deakins's cinematography and sound, and Jolie's direction. It was a financial success, grossing $163 million worldwide. The film was followed by a sequel, '' Unbroken: Path to Redemption'', in 2018.


Plot

During an April 1943 bombing mission against the Japanese-held island of Nauru, Louis "Louie" Zamperini is flying as a bombardier of a
United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
B-24 Liberator when his plane is damaged in combat and a member of the crew injured. The pilot Phil brings the aircraft to a stop at the end of the runway despite an exploded tire. In a flashback to his early youth in
Torrance, California Torrance is a coastal city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is part of what is known as the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay region of the metropolitan ...
, Louie misbehaves by stealing, drinking alcohol and smoking. He is often bullied by others for his Italian ethnicity. His brother Peter, seeing how fast Louie runs, trains him to be a runner. Louie becomes a disciplined distance runner, earning the nickname "The Torrance Tornado". He finishes 8th in the
1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...
and sets a record in the final lap for the 5,000-meter race. In his 1943 combat service, Louie takes some of the surviving crew and several replacements on a search-and-rescue mission with an old plane. One engine fails and the aircraft ultimately crashes into the ocean. Louie and two others, Phil and Mac, survive and float on two inflatable rafts. On their 27th day adrift, the trio attract the attention of a Japanese fighter plane, which strafes and damages the rafts but misses them. Mac dies six days later. On the 47th day, Japanese sailors find and capture Louie and Phil. Now prisoners of war, Louie and Phil are held on
Kwajalein Atoll Kwajalein Atoll (; Marshallese language, Marshallese: ) is part of the Marshall Islands, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island, which its majority English-speaking re ...
. The American airmen are interrogated for information on newer bombers and the Norden bombsight. Louie says they flew older models and draws a rendering of a Philco radio. They are dragged out to disrobe and kneel on planks, expecting to be executed. Instead, they are crudely washed and shipped to Japan. Upon arrival, they are sent to different POW camps. At camp Ōmori, in
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Louis and his fellow POWs are the responsibility of Japanese corporal Mutsuhiro Watanabe. He is especially hard on Louie, beating him often. Louie is given an opportunity to broadcast a message home saying he is alive after learning the U.S. government classified him as KIA. As he refuses to broadcast another message full of anti-American propaganda, he is sent back to camp, where Watanabe has each prisoner punch him. After two years, Watanabe is promoted to Sergeant and leaves the camp. As the camp is damaged when Tokyo was bombed, Louie and the others are moved to Naoetsu prison camp. Here, Watanabe is again in command but as a Sergeant, he supervises the prisoners at work loading coal barges. When Louie pauses during work, he is punished by Watanabe, who makes him lift a large wooden beam and hold it over his head. The sergeant orders a guard to shoot Louie if he drops it, but the American defiantly holds it up despite his exhaustion. This enrages Watanabe as Louie stares him straight in the eye, provoking a severe beating. At the end of the war, Louie and the other POWs are liberated when the Americans occupy Japan. He looks for Watanabe in his quarters but discovers he has already fled. Sitting down, Louie stares at a photo of Watanabe as a child alongside his father. He is returned home to America, where he kisses the ground upon arriving home. At the end of the film, there is a slideshow of the real Louie and the events in his life following the war: He married and had two children. Phil also survived and married. Mutsuhiro "The Bird" Watanabe went into hiding and evaded prosecution despite being on the top 40 most-wanted Japanese war criminals list compiled by General Douglas MacArthur's staff. Louie lived out his promise to convert to Christianity, to devote his life to
God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
and to forgive his wartime captors. In the postwar years, he met with many of them but Watanabe refused. Louie was honored by running a leg of the Olympic Torch relay for the
1998 Winter Olympics The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 (), were a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Nagano, Nagano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, with some events ...
in Nagano, Japan. He was four days short of his 81st birthday, and ran on a stretch not far from one of the POW camps where he was held. The closing titles reveal that Louie Zamperini died on July 2, 2014, at 97.


Cast

* Jack O'Connell as Capt. Louis "Louie" Zamperini, a former Olympian and bombardier who is held in captivity by the Japanese. ** C.J. Valleroy as young Louis Zamperini * Domhnall Gleeson as Lt. Russell "Phil" Phillips, Louie's companion at sea and his capture * Garrett Hedlund as Lt. Cmdr. John Fitzgerald (captain of submarine USS ''Grenadier'') * Miyavi as Sgt. Mutsuhiro "The Bird" Watanabe, a sadistic prison camp commander who tortures and treats Louie cruelly. * Finn Wittrock as T-3 S/Sgt. Francis "Mac" McNamara * Jai Courtney as Lt. Charlton Hugh "Cup" Cupernell * Luke Treadaway as Miller * Spencer Lofranco as Harry Brooks * Travis Jeffery as Jimmy * Jordan Patrick Smith as Cliff * John Magaro as Frank A. Tinker * Alex Russell as Pete Zamperini, Louie's brother ** John D'Leo as Young Pete * Vincenzo Amato as Anthony Zamperini, Louie's father * Louis McIntosh as William Frederick Harris * Ross Anderson as Blackie * Maddalena Ischiale as Louise Zamperini, Louie's mother * Savannah Lamble as Sylvia Zamperini, Louie's younger sister * Sophie Dalah as Virginia Zamperini, Louie's second younger sister


Production


Development

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
purchased the rights to the book in January 2011, having already acquired the film rights to Zamperini's life story towards the end of the 1950s. Early drafts for the film were written by William Nicholson and Richard LaGravenese while
Francis Lawrence Francis Lawrence (born March 26, 1971) is an American filmmaker and producer. After establishing himself as a director of music videos and commercials, Lawrence made his feature-length directorial debut with the superhero thriller ''Constantine ...
was scheduled to direct. Joel and Ethan Coen were then tapped to rewrite the script after Jolie was named director. On September 30, 2013, Jolie was confirmed to direct the film in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. Jolie was paid a $1 million salary for directing the film. Walden Media was originally set as Universal's co-financier, but withdrew from the project prior to filming and were subsequently replaced by Legendary Pictures. The filming was based in
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
and
Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
, with scenes also shot in Fox Studios Australia and Village Roadshow Studios.


Filming

Principal photography began on October 16, 2013, in Queensland, Australia and ended on February 4, 2014, with post-production also being done in Australia. Some of the scenes were shot at sea in Moreton Bay on October 16, 2013. On December 14, four days of filming were completed in Werris Creek,
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
. The POW "Coal" scenes were all filmed at Cockatoo Island (New South Wales). The scene where they were captured by the Japanese destroyer was filmed in Sydney Harbour on board the MV Cape Don.


Music

The official film soundtrack was released on December 15, 2014, through Parlophone and
Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
. The film score was composed by Alexandre Desplat. The album also features " Miracles", a song written and recorded by British alternative rock band
Coldplay Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey (band m ...
, which was released digitally as a single on December 15.


Reception


Box office

''Unbroken'' grossed $115.6 million in the U.S. and Canada and $47.6 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $163 million, against a budget of $65 million. The film opened in North America on December 25, 2014, across 3,131 theaters and grossed $15.6 million on its opening day (including Christmas Eve previews) which is the third-biggest Christmas Day debut ever, behind '' Les Misérables'' ($18 million), and ''
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
'' ($24 million) and the fifth-biggest Christmas Day gross ever. The film was one of the four widely released films on December 25, 2014, the other three being
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...
's '' Into the Woods'' (2,478 theaters),
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
' '' The Gambler'' (2,478 theaters) and TWC's '' Big Eyes'' (1,307 theaters). It earned $31,748,000 in its traditional three-day opening weekend (including its revenue from Christmas Day it earned $47.3 million) debuting at #2 at the box office behind '' The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies'' setting a record for the third-biggest Christmas debut behind ''Sherlock Holmes'' ($62 million) and '' Marley & Me'' ($36 million). and fourth biggest among World War II theme movies. It was the eighth film that earned $25 million plus in its debut weekend for Universal Pictures and the fifth $30 million plus debut for an "original" movie following '' Lone Survivor'', '' Ride Along'', '' Neighbors'' and '' Lucy''.


Critical response

The film received mixed reviews from critics.
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
gives the film a rating of 52% based on 230 reviews, with an average rating of 6.00/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "''Unbroken'' is undoubtedly well-intentioned, but it hits a few too many of the expected prestige-pic beats to register as strongly as it should." On
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, the film has a score of 59 out of 100 based on 48 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences surveyed by
CinemaScore CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data. Background Ed Mintz, who ...
gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale. The audience was 52 percent female and 71 percent over the age of 25. The SAG Nominating Committee gave it a standing ovation after a screening. The score received a mixed critical reaction. Callum Hofler of Entertainment Junkie stated, "At its finest, ''Unbroken'' is perhaps Desplat's strongest and most resonant emotional work since '' The Tree of Life'' or '' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2'', both from 2011. It comes off as bold, ambitious, yet intimate and sentimental all the same. It can be an elegant and harmonious exploration of human determination, drive and spirit." He also criticized numerous components, claiming that, "In most cases though, the primary issue with the album is its lack of energy and vitality. There is many a time where the music seems to just sit in place, lacking major progression in character, motive or mindset." He awarded the score a final rating of 6 out of 10. Jorn Tillnes of Soundtrack Geek acclaimed the album, stating, "This score is pretty great. It's been a really good year for Desplat. '' Godzilla'' and '' The Monuments Men'' at the top of the pile, but this is not far behind." He summarized with, "It is a turning point though for those who think Desplat is about boring bass rhythms and motifs. This might even get the haters to respect him as a composer." He awarded the score an 87.8 out of 100.


Controversies

Prior to the film's release, some Japanese nationalists asked for the film and the director to be banned from their country, largely because of a part in Hillenbrand's book, which was not depicted in the film, where she writes "POWs were beaten, burned, stabbed, or clubbed to death, shot, beheaded, killed during medical experiments, or eaten alive in ritual acts of cannibalism" by the
Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...
. A petition on Change.org calling for a ban attracted more than 10,000 signatures. In response, it triggered a Change.org petition by Dutch Indonesian group The Indo Project voicing support for the movie, as they saw it as a reflection of what their family members in the former Dutch East Indies experienced in Japanese camps. Several prominent Dutch Indos (including those who are not descendants of former POWs), such as author Adriaan van Dis,
Doe Maar Doe Maar (; ) was a Dutch pop band that combined punk, ska, and reggae influences. Formed in 1978, they broke up in 1984, reunited in 2000, and remained sporadically active from then until 2021, when their frontman, Henny Vrienten, died. Th ...
frontman Ernst Jansz, and actress Wieteke van Dort, signed the petition in support of the film. Another petition on Change.org calling for a release of the film in Japan, this time in Japanese, gathered more than 1,200 signatures. The film was eventually released in Japan on February 6, 2016, by independent distributor Bitters End on a much smaller scale than originally intended, while Toho-Towa, the usual distributor of Universal titles, had passed on releasing the film. The film received some criticism for omitting Zamperini's fight against
alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...
and PTSD, as well as his
Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (; November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American Evangelism, evangelist, ordained Southern Baptist minister, and Civil rights movement, civil rights advocate, whose broadcasts and world tours featuring liv ...
-inspired religious conversion.


Accolades


Home media

''Unbroken'' was released on March 24, 2015, in the United States in two formats: a one-disc standard DVD and a Blu-ray Combo pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy).


Sequel

A faith-based film also based on Hillenbrand's book, titled '' Unbroken: Path to Redemption'', which depicts later events of Zamperini's life than those depicted in ''Unbroken'', was released by Pure Flix Entertainment on September 14, 2018. It was directed by Harold Cronk with the script written by Richard Friedenberg and Ken Hixon. Aside from producer Matthew Baer and actors Vincenzo Amato and Maddalena Ischiale, who reprised the roles of Anthony and Louise Zamperini, none of the original cast or crew was involved in the new film. Legendary Pictures also had no involvement with the sequel.


See also

* '' The Great Raid'', a 2005 war film about the raid at Cabanatuan in the Philippines during World War II. * '' To End All Wars'', a 2001 film set in a Japanese prisoner of war labor camp where the inmates are building the Burma Railway during World War II. * '' Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence'' * '' My Way'', a 2011 South Korean war film based on the story of a Korean captured by the Americans on D-Day. * List of films about the sport of athletics * List of World War II films


References


External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Unbroken 2010s American films 2010s English-language films 2010s Japanese-language films 2014 biographical drama films 2014 drama films 2014 films 2014 war drama films 3 Arts Entertainment films American films based on actual events American historical action films American war drama films Athletics films Biographical films about military personnel Biographical films about sportspeople Cultural depictions of track and field athletes English-language biographical drama films English-language war drama films Film controversies Films about Olympic track and field Films about survivors of seafaring accidents or incidents Films about the 1936 Summer Olympics Films about the United States Army Air Forces Films based on biographies Films directed by Angelina Jolie Films produced by Angelina Jolie Films produced by Erwin Stoff Films produced by Clayton Townsend Films scored by Alexandre Desplat Films set in Japan Films shot at Village Roadshow Studios Films shot in New South Wales Films with screenplays by Richard LaGravenese Films with screenplays by the Coen brothers Films with screenplays by William Nicholson Japan in non-Japanese culture Legendary Pictures films Obscenity controversies in film Pacific War films Race-related controversies in film Saturn Award–winning films Universal Pictures films World War II films based on actual events World War II prisoner of war films