Unbroken

The directorial debut of Angelina Jolie was always going to be big news. The tabloids especially looking forward to it. Mistakes if made would be gleefully highlighted in some quarters, whilst some seemed even to be praying for a total disaster- so the pressure was on. How did she fare? Well she will certainly be disappointing the “haters” because Unbroken is a stunning success. Jolie chose well in telling the story of USA Olympic athlete turned war hero Louis “Louie” Zapperini. A man who survives a plane crash in the Pacific, spends 47 days drifting on a raft, and then more than two and a half years living in several brutal Japanese prisoner of war camps. It is a story of survival, of human spirit and redemption.

Unbroken opens with a bombing raid over Japan that nearly does for Zapperini and his crew and through the use of flash backs tells the story of him as a young Italian immigrant who to the shame of his family is constantly getting into trouble. He finds a new focus for his life through running which eventually leads him to representing the USA at the Berlin Olympics. With his athletics career having to take a backseat because of the outbreak of war Zapperini still dreams that he may still make the next Olympics which is due to be staged in Tokyo. However, fate has other ideas. During a rescue mission Zapperini’s troubles begin when his plane ditches in the ocean leaving him and two other survivors of his crew in a raft for 47 days before being taken prisoner by the Japanese. Singled out for extra punishment by the almost psychopathic prison governor Mutsuhiro "The Bird" Watanabe. Zapperini is pushed to the very limit of mental and physical endurance.

This is a disturbing movie about what man can do to his fellow man, but it is also an awe inspiring story, told in a way that grips you from start to finish. It is a visually epic canvas and the cast are brilliant. Jack O’Connell brings out a confident performance that carries this movie from start to finish and he is backed up by an excellent support cast, the likes of Domhnall Gleeson and Finn Wittrock are able handle all that is thrown at them. However, Miyavi (who is known mainly as a singer songwriter) almost steals the show as the sinister young prison governor The Bird. Dare I say it, Unbroken is a very well-directed film, it has a great script from a little known duo called the Cohen brothers- maybe you’ve heard of them.. You need to stay to the end to find out if Zapperini fulfils his dream of running in Tokyo. The end of this film is very touching and when the real Zapperini is on screen you’d have to be made of stone not to be deeply moved.

A great film- and it certainly puts moaning about the trains being late into some perspective.