Unbroken
Director: Angelina Jolie
Cast: Jack O'Connell, Domhnall Gleeson, Garrett Hedlund, Takamasa Ishihara, Finn Wittrock.
Rated PG-13 for war violence including intense sequences of brutality, and for brief language.
Louis Zamperini's story is unbelievable and incredibly cinematic. Laura Hillenbrand's best-selling account of Zamperini's life story, Unbroken, prompted Angelina Jolie to step behind the camera to bring this amazing man's life to the big screen. Expectations were high for the film, mostly because this story is just too powerful. While there are some admirable qualities in Unbroken, one can't help but wonder if the film would have been better told in the hands of a more accomplished and skilled filmmaker.
Louis Zamperini (a breakout performance from Jack O'Connell) spent his childhood getting into trouble. For a time it seemed that he was destined to be a small-time crook who would never amount to anything until he is turned on to running track with the help of his brother. Louis becomes a star runner in high school earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. He then enlists to fight in World War II where his plane goes down in the middle of the Pacific. After surviving 47 days at sea in a raft, Louis is captured by the Japanese who send him to a POW camp. There, Zamperini endures endless torture, despair, and deprivation, but his unconquerable spirit drives him to survive.
First, the positives of the film: Jack O'Connell gives a terrific performance as Zamperini. He carries the film on his untested shoulders, and his dedication to the role is easily apparent. The film is gorgeously shot by the extremely talented cinematographer Roger Deakins, and Zamperini's story is one of the most inspirational accounts you are likely to find. Sadly, Jolie is obsessed with focusing on the brutality that Zamperini suffered in the war. While his perseverance is awe-inspiring, these torture scenes are so relentless that they beat the audience into paralysis, sometimes even apathy. There were more than a few moments where I thought, "This should be more emotional," particularly when he makes his radio broadcast to America and during the resolution of the film.
What occurs on screen is horrific and should not be glossed over; however, Jolie hovers over the surface of the material and never really gets into the psyche of any of these characters. A significant portion of Zamperini's inspirational tale is merely given a footnote at the end of the film, specifically his post-war battle with alcoholism and PTSD before he remembers his promise he made with God while at sea. I am all for female directors tackling big projects like this, but I can't help but believe that this movie would have been so much better in the hands of expert biopic directors like Steven Spielberg or Ron Howard. Just look at Howard's recent biopic, Rush. That was a story that no one was dying to see, and yet it was an amazing film. His 2005 film Cinderella Man is one of the most inspirational movies I have ever seen. Unbroken is a film that many have been anxious to see, one that contains an incredible story...and it should be much better.
RATING: C+
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