Empire of the Sun

Name: Empire of the Sun
Genre: Drama, History, War
Released: 1987-12-09
Duration: 153 min
Rating: 7.5

1987 · Movie · PG · 153 min · ★ 7.5 · 69% critics

DramaHistoryWar

A privileged British child in Shanghai is separated from family when war erupts and foreigners are rounded up into prison camps. Forced to adapt to hunger, fear, and uncertainty, the child clings to hope and dignity, finding unlikely support among fellow captives while growing up far too fast.

Based on Empire of the Sun

Also known as L'Empire Du Soleil

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Details

Years: 1987
Release date: 1987-12-09
Language: English
Rated: PG
Runtime: 153 min
Critic score: 69/100
TMDB rating: 7.5/10 (2,133 votes)

About

You’ll likely enjoy this if you want an emotional World War II story seen through a child’s perspective, with hardship balanced by hope, like The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas; Not for you if you dislike slow epics.

Pros: moving coming-of-age story; strong child performance; hopeful emotional core | Cons: very long runtime; slow, drawn-out stretches; sentimentality feels heavy