See It at the Movies

UNBROKEN

with Joyce & Don Fowler
Posted 12/30/14

* * * ½

(True tale of courage and heroism)

"Unbroken" is a true tale of the incredible courage, determination and heroism of Louis Zamperini, an American Olympic champion who survived a plane …

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See It at the Movies

UNBROKEN

Posted

* * * ½

(True tale of courage and heroism)

"Unbroken" is a true tale of the incredible courage, determination and heroism of Louis Zamperini, an American Olympic champion who survived a plane crash, 45 days at sea in a raft, and inhuman torture in Japanese prisoner of war camps.

Jack O'Connell gives a stunning performance of the man who survived incredible odds to become a true American hero.

Director Angelina Jolie has taken a few critical hits for the movie, but I must say that the sold-out audience at our viewing clapped at the end of the movie.

Not that it is an easy movie to watch. Staring at the screen while the sadistic Japanese commander unmercifully singles Zamperini out for cruel punishment is not easy to watch, but we do. And we clench our fists and hold our collective breaths as he endures unbearable pain.

The movie opens with an exciting air battle, holds our interest as three survivors of an ocean air crash fend off sharks, storms and hunger, and keeps us rooting for Zamperini right to the end.

Joyce is usually not a "jumper,” but she, and just about everyone in the audience, jumped off their seats at one scene. (We won't tell you which one.)

There are flashbacks that tell us about young Louis as he grows up under the watchful eye of his brother, who teaches him to be strong when he is bullied and helps him on his road to becoming the fastest high school runner of his time. He earns a gold medal in the 1936 Olympics, held in Berlin, but never has the opportunity when the Tokyo Olympics are canceled during the war. A postscript tells us that he returned to Japan at age 80 to participate in the Senior Olympics.

"Unbroken" is a difficult movie to watch at times, and it is not a perfectly directed one, but it is worth your time and money if only to honor this great American who we lost earlier this year.

Rated PG-13, with violence, some profanity and difficult torture and abuse.

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