2014 American film
Unbroken is a 2014 American war drama film, produced and directed by Angelina Jolie, and based on the 2010 non-fiction book by Laura Hillenbrand Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. The film revolves around the life of USA Olympian and athlete Louis "Louie" Zamperini, portrayed by Jack O'Connell. Zamperini, who died on July 2, 2014, at the age of 97, survived in a raft for 47 days after his bomber was downed in WWII, and was sent to a series of prisoner-of-war camps.
The film had its world premiere in Sydney on November 17, 2014, and received a wide release in the United States on December 25, 2014. The film has received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
American World War II hero Louis "Louie" Zamperini, a former USA Olympic track star, survives a plane crash in the Pacific, spends 47 days drifting on a raft, and then more than two and a half years living in several Japanese prisoner of war camps.
Production
Development
Universal Pictures purchased the rights to the book in January 2011, having already acquired the film rights to Zamperini's life towards the end of the 1950s.[6] Early drafts for the film were written by William Nicholson and Richard LaGravenese while Francis Lawrence was scheduled to direct. Joel and Ethan Coen were then tapped to rewrite the script after Jolie was named director.[7]
On September 30, 2013, Jolie was confirmed to direct the film in Australia.[8] Walden Media was originally set as Universal's co-financer,[9] but withdrew from the project prior to filming and were subsequently replaced by Legendary Pictures.[4] The filming was based in New South Wales and Queensland, with scenes also shot in Fox Studios Australia and Village Roadshow Studios.
Filming
The filming began on October 21, 2013, with the post-production also being done in Australia.[10]
Some of the scenes were shot at sea in Moreton Bay on October 16, 2013.[11] On December 14, four days of filming were completed in Werris Creek, New South Wales.[12]
Music
The official film soundtrack was released on December 15, 2014, through Parlophone and Atlantic Records. The film score was composed by Alexandre Desplat.[13] The album also features "Miracles", a song written and recorded by British alternative rock band Coldplay, which was released digitally as a single on December 15.[14][15]
The score received a mixed critical reaction upon initial release. Callum Hofler of Entertainment Junkie stated during his review of the score that, "At its finest, Unbroken is perhaps Desplat's strongest and most resonant emotional work since The Tree of Life or Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, both from 2011. It comes off as bold, ambitious, yet intimate and sentimental all the same. It can be an elegant and harmonious exploration of human determination, drive and spirit." He also criticised numerous components, claiming that, "In most cases though, the primary issue with the album is its lack of energy and vitality. There is many a time where the music seems to just sit in place, lacking major progression in character, motive or mindset." He awarded the score a final rating of 6 out of 10.[16] Jorn Tillnes of Soundtrack Geek acclaimed the album, stating, "This score is pretty great. It’s been a really good year for Desplat. Godzilla and The Monuments Men at the top of the pile, but this is not far behind." He summarized with, "It is a turning point though for those who think Desplat is about boring bass rhythms and motifs. This might even get the haters to respect him as a composer." He awarded the score an 87.8 out of 100.[17]
Track listing
All music is composed by Alexandre Desplat, except "Miracles" written by Coldplay
Unbroken – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack| Title |
|---|
| 1. | "We Are Here" | 1:49 |
|---|
| 2. | "Torrance Tornado" | 2:56 |
|---|
| 3. | "Coming Home" | 2:17 |
|---|
| 4. | "Olympic Kick" | 3:47 |
|---|
| 5. | "God Made the Stars" | 1:40 |
|---|
| 6. | "Surprise Mac Attack" | 1:39 |
|---|
| 7. | "Albatross" | 1:01 |
|---|
| 8. | "Mac's Death" | 2:40 |
|---|
| 9. | "Solitary" | 1:43 |
|---|
| 10. | "Making Gnocchi" | 1:11 |
|---|
| 11. | "Drive to Radio Tokyo" | 1:19 |
|---|
| 12. | "Japanese Attack" | 3:30 |
|---|
| 13. | "Trip to Omori" | 2:52 |
|---|
| 14. | "Bombing Tokyo" | 1:43 |
|---|
| 15. | "Rain" | 1:28 |
|---|
| 16. | "Dead Comrades" | 2:20 |
|---|
| 17. | "To Naoetsu" | 3:53 |
|---|
| 18. | "Broken Ankle" | 2:21 |
|---|
| 19. | "The Bird's Farewell" | 2:24 |
|---|
| 20. | "Radio Reading" | 1:12 |
|---|
| 21. | "The Plank" | 4:54 |
|---|
| 22. | "The War Is Over" | 6:02 |
|---|
| 23. | "Unbroken" | 2:29 |
|---|
| 24. | "Miracles" (Performed by Coldplay) | 3:56 |
|---|
Reception
Box office
Unbroken opened in the United States on December 25, 2014 across 3,131 theaters and grossed $15.59 on its opening day (including previewa) which is the third-biggest Christmas Day debut ever, behind Les Misérables ($18 million), and Sherlock Holmes ($24 million) and the fifth-biggest Christmas Day gross ever.[18][19]
Critical reception
Reviews for Unbroken have been mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 50%, based on 128 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The site's consensus reads, "Unbroken is undoubtedly well-intentioned, but it hits a few too many of the expected prestige-pic beats to register as strongly as it should."[20] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 59 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[21]
After an early screening, Japanese nationalists asked for the film and the director to be banned from their country, due to their accusation that the film shows them in a negative stereotypical light.[22] In response, it triggered a petition by The Indo Project[23] voicing support for the movie as they see it as a reflection of what their family members in the former Dutch East Indies experienced in Japanese camps.[24]
The narrative of the film, unlike the book, stops prior to Zamperini's responding to the invitation at Billy Graham's 1949 Los Angeles meetings. Zamperini spent the remainder of his life as an outspoken Christian, often featured with Graham's evangelistic efforts.
