The war film that helped Steven Spielberg etch his name among Hollywood’s elite directors is available to stream right now on Amazon Prime Video.
Empire of the Sun arrived in theatres back in 1987 and boasts a star-studded cast including Christian Bale.
Based on J.G Ballard’s novel of the same name, this 2hrs 32 min spectacular follows Jamie ‘Jim’ Graham — played by the former Batman actor — who is a privileged British boy living in Shanghai during the early years of World War II.
Separated from his parents during the Japanese invasion, he is eventually captured and then sent to an internment camp where he meets the complex American hustler, Basie, played by Of Mice and Men (1992) actor John Malkovich.
Doing his utmost to survive the harsh conditions, Jim hopes to keep his youthful innocence intact in the face of conflict and loss.
Also included in the cast are Southport-born Miranda Richardson, as well as Nigel Havers of Coronation Street (2009-2019) and Chariots of Fire (1981) fame, and The Matrix (1999) star Joe Pantoliano.
Review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes has given Empire of the Sun a critic score of 77%, while the audience score is an impressive 90%.
It was also incredibly well received at the time, and has been touted as the hidden gem of Spielberg’s catalogue of blockbusters, with some believing it trumps the likes of Jaws (1975), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), and Schindler’s List (1993) as his best work.
Don’t just take our word for it, with one critic saying: “One of Steven Spielberg’s most ambitious efforts of the 1980s, Empire of the Sun remains an underrated gem in the director’s distinguished filmography.”
“Stephen Spielberg’s graduation to grown-up film-making,” added a second, while another added: “Empire of the Sun is a great, overwrought movie that leaves one wordless and worn out.”
Matt, a superfan of the movie, posted on Rotten Tomatoes: “This is one of my favorite films of all time. I’ve been watching it since it came out and it’s just as good each time I see it.
“Absolute stellar cast and should have won a lot of awards. This is actually my favorite Speilberg WWII movie.”
Empire of the Sun is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.