Unbroken brings the true story of Lou Zamperini, a World War II prisoner of war. The film shows his humble beginnings, his pursuit of greatness to the point of running in the 1936 Olympics, and then his time in the armed forces. During a rescue flight over the Pacific Ocean in 1943, his plane crashed and he and 2 others were left adrift in a small life raft. Scraping by on rain water to drink, and raw fish they caught, they survived for 47 days until being picked up by the Japanese and brought to a POW camp. There, Zamperini was tortured due to his status as an American Olympic icon.
If it seems like a cut and dry story, it is, and while Zamperini’s life is certainly inspirational, not all great lives make great movies. The film is slow and dull. You feel for his predicament and you certainly cry out for the injustices, but there is little to get caught up in. Whether it was poorly adapted, poorly directed, whatever the case may be, it seems like it could have been done a lot better.
On a personal note, this is film # 120 for me on the year. I have one more that I will see tomorrow morning, and then my year-long theater hopping experiment will come to an end. I have a new plan for next, and subsequent, years!
Jons Movie Takes 