Movie Review: Unbroken

The incredible true story of American Olympian Louis Zamperini, a testament to the strength of the human spirit.

By Nicole Ang

PHOTO: Universal Pictures

Unbroken

Biography, Drama [PG]
Jack O’Connell, Takamasa Ishihara, Domhnall Gleeson
137 min

Adapted from the biography of Louis Zamperini, a renowned American Olympian and World War II veteran, Unbroken traces different stages of his life, eventually culminating in his time spent as a prisoner-of-war (POW) under the Japanese.

Featuring nuances of nationalistic fervour and over-dramatic scenes, the amazing life story of Zamperini (Jack O’Connell) is ultimately condensed into an average movie. Unlike typical war movies, Unbroken is more awe-inspiring than blood-pumping, with most of its impact occurring on an emotional level.

The movie is discernibly divided into two segments: Zamperini’s formative years, and his eventual involvement in the war. The two segments surface different themes, which are invariably linked to one another — Zamperini’s development from a young delinquent to a disciplined Olympian captures the notion of redemption, while his experiences in the war showcase strength and resilience.

While director Angelina Jolie’s decision to feature Zamperini’s childhood undeniably makes his eventual emergence as a man of character all the more significant and inspiring, the movie becomes unnecessarily long-drawn as a result.

When Unbroken eventually reaches its climax, highlighting Zamperini’s experience in the POW camp, one may feel that it is not worth the wait. The tense scenes between Zamperini and the cruel Japanese commander Mutsuhiro ‘The Bird’ Watanabe (Takamasa Ishihara) — though initially evocative and impactful — eventually become repetitive. Their numerous confrontations soon become an over-repeated sub-plot of Zamperini’s defiance and determination pitted against Watanabe’s cruelty, in which Zamperini always emerges triumphant.

As the lead actor, O’Connell delivers a convincing performance as Zamperini. Portraying the athlete through the different stages of his life, O’Connell’s acting brings to life the trials, tribulations and victories that Zamperini faced, and the myriad of emotions he experienced.

Well-embodying the strength and fervour of an athlete and soldier, his efforts also ensure that Zamperini remains relatable to audiences. O’Connell vividly captures Zamperini’s fear, desperation and frustration amid dire situations — a reminder that despite his well-documented achievements and experiences, Zamperini was, like everyone, human rather than an isolated and far-fetched example of exceptional strength and bravery.

The single-minded focus on Zamperini also results in the inadequate fleshing out of secondary characters. While Unbroken is rightly centred on Zamperini, the movie fails to give ample credit to significant characters in his life.

Even Zamperini’s older brother, Pete (Alex Russell), who played a major role in his reformative process during his adolescent years, is no exception. Often shown watching eagerly from the sidelines and providing motivational advice bordering on cliché, Pete ends up resembling a trainer rather than a brother. As such, their brotherly relationship is left under-developed, not to mention the inadequate portrayal of how Pete managed to pull the younger and wayward Zamperini out of his downward spiral.

The scant character development also results in a lack of standout performers apart from O’Connell. While Zamperini meets a myriad of people along his journey, none of them seem sufficiently significant in the movie. By attempting to cover so much of Zamperini’s life in a mere two hours, Jolie and the movie’s screenwriters unfortunately created a conundrum for themselves — ultimately they had too little time to properly flesh out many other characters.

While Unbroken does ultimately make for an inspiring cinematic experience, it is not hard to feel that the movie was let down by the poor choices made by Jolie and the production team. Despite that, viewers looking for a feel-good, motivational, and easily digestible movie will not be disappointed — provided they can sit through the seemingly over-elongated duration.