Review of Unbroken (2014) by Tpcam — 30 Dec 2014

While a worthy stand alone movie, because we know the book and this man's life story, we also know that the movie, by focusing primarily on survival in a life raft and survival as a POW, misses what "Unbroken" was about. It is a story of strength and weakness of character, of the people who influence our lives, of falling and redemption and falling and redemption.

After surviving the war, Louie begins on a path of drunken ruin when he chances upon a revival tent where Billy Graham, a legendary preacher, is giving a sermon. This sermon starts his recovery from the war and alcoholism and culminates with Louie's trip to Japan to forgive his guards. The "Bird" refuses to see him. That is the end of the movie, Louie's personal growth to become a better person and the "Bird" being trapped in the bitterness of what his life became.

I don't know anything about Billy Graham and can only imagine how powerfully that scene could have been filmed. What cinematic potential! Then watching Louie transform into the man he was to become culminating in the trip to Japan. I am still mourning the loss. What a wasted opportunity.

I would truly like to understand why Angelina Jolie or why the studio committee didn't take this on. Were they afraid of appearing to promote religion? Did they think it would scare away movie viewers? Were they afraid of what others in their community would say about them? Who fought to make this movie properly and who caved in?

Any attempt to say the movie would have been too long is a canard. The time on the raft and scenes in the POW camp were excessive, many not adding to the story. The ending was fabricated to add drama. It's almost like the decision to end the film with the war's end was made later rather than upfront and they had to puff it up to get to a reasonable run time.

Personally in my opinion had they not chickened out, the film would have at a minimum qualified for a Best Picture nomination.