Empire of the Sun

A young Christian Bale shines in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s autobiographical account of survival and loss of innocence in China during the Second World War.

  • Director

    Steven Spielberg

  • With

    Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers

  • USA 1987. 153min

  • 70mm

  • Certificate

    PG

Christian Bale was at the beginning of his career when he was cast as Jim, a privileged, aviation-mad schoolboy living in Shanghai. His sheltered upbringing witnessing the comings and goings of war planes is shattered by Japan’s invasion of the city in the wake of the Pearl Harbour attack. Forced to evacuate, Jim is separated from his parents and must fend for himself in the chaos and violence of the exodus, before finding himself in an internment camp. Often overlooked in his filmography, Spielberg’s film excels at giving life to Ballard’s childhood memories, and becomes a moving tale of trauma and resilience. It was shot on 35mm but had a limited release run blown-up to 70mm. It screens from an original, excellent condition 70mm print with 6-track magnetic sound.

Sonia Genaitay