Movie · 1987 · Drama, History, War · 2h 33m · PG · English
Curator score: 6.6/10 (252.4K ratings)
To survive in a world at war, he must find a strength greater than all the events that surround him.
Overview
Jamie Graham, a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. Jamie is captured with an American sailor, who looks out for him while they are in the camp together. Even though he is separated from his parents and in a hostile environment, Jamie maintains his dignity and youthful spirit, providing a beacon of hope for the others held captive with him.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.6/10
IMDb: 7.7/10
Letterboxd: 3.85/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 75%
Metacritic: 62
TMDB: 7.5/10
Director
Steven Spielberg
Production
Warner Bros. Pictures, Amblin Entertainment
Cast
Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers, Joe Pantoliano, Leslie Phillips, Masatô Ibu, Emily Richard, Rupert Frazer, Peter Gale, Takatarô Kataoka, Ben Stiller, David Neidorf, Ralph Seymour, Robert Stephens, Zhai Naishe, Guts Ishimatsu, Emma Piper, James Walker, Jack Dearlove
Curator Review
Verdict
A striking, uneven but memorable coming-of-age war drama with major visual ambition, a remarkable child performance, and some of Spielberg’s most haunting imagery. It balances wonder and devastation in a way that won’t work for everyone, but it’s absolutely worth seeing for its emotional scale and craft.
Best for
Viewers who like war stories filtered through a child’s perspective
Fans of visually expressive, emotionally earnest filmmaking
People interested in survival dramas and historical trauma
Anyone curious about one of Christian Bale’s earliest standout performances
Skip if
You want a tightly paced, purely realistic war film
You dislike Spielberg’s sentimental or lyrical streak
You prefer ensemble-driven stories over a single-child perspective
You’re looking for a consistently grim, unvarnished camp drama
Overview
Empire of the Sun is one of Spielberg’s most fascinating tonal experiments: a war film that begins in opulence and chaos, then settles into the strange, disorienting rhythms of captivity. The movie is at its best when it lets Jamie’s perspective guide the image-making, turning abandoned streets, makeshift camp routines, and distant aircraft into emotional landmarks. Christian Bale is astonishingly self-possessed here, giving the film its center of gravity before most actors that age would even know how to carry a scene.
Worth noting
What makes the film linger is its tension between innocence and corrosion. Spielberg leans into wonder, but never entirely escapes the brutality of what’s happening, which gives the movie an unusual, sometimes uneasy texture. That mismatch can feel deliberate or imperfect depending on your taste, yet it also makes the film feel singular within his career.
Bottom line
If you respond to war cinema as memory, impression, and emotional survival rather than just combat mechanics, this is a strong recommendation. It’s not the most seamless Spielberg film, but it may be one of his most haunting.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Sean Gilman (4.5★) · 2916 likes
Young Christan Bale looks exactly like old Christian Bale and it's freaking me out.
James (Schaffrillas) (3★) · 1200 likes
Kind of feels like the exact middle ground between overly whimsical and sentimental Spielberg, and "director of Schindler's List" Spielberg. He's getting to the point where he can effectively direct a powerful drama, just give him time.
Silent J (3.5★) · 794 likes
Wow, Batman was tiny.
It's freaky just looking at him.
Cavy van Wyk (3★) · 688 likes
Christian Bale has been carrying movies since the age of 13.
Patrick Willems · 621 likes
Critics: when will Spielberg ever grow up??
Spielberg: here is my movie about a child being permanently traumatized by the horrors of war in a prison camp
Critics: ugh more kiddie bullshit! Grow up Steve!
(really good movie, Bale giving one of the most insanely good child performances of all time)