EMPIRE OF THE SUN

US, 1987, 154 minutes, Colour.
Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers, Joe Pantoliano, Leslie Phillips, Ben Stiller, Robert Stephens.
Directed by Steven Spielberg.

Empire of the Sun is a fine film. Science-fiction writer J.G. Ballard's memoir, fictionalised, has been adapted by playwright Tom Stoppard and directed with flair by Steven Spielberg. It is set in Shanghai, 1941, in the international settlement, an England away from home. The Japanese occupiers then take over, panic sets in, evacuations or prisoner-of-war camps. The eleven-year-old Jim is expertly played by Christian Bale. He holds the film together. After bewilderment in the streets, he finds himself in the camp - and audiences share this English boy's perspective of the war years: weary internees, harassed doctor, the U.S. King Rat who encourages and rewards Jim's tireless scavenging. Jim loves planes, admires the Japanese pilots, tries to help in the hospital, hunts pheasant outside the wire and begins to grow up.

The first 45 minutes are magnificent and involve the audience in the Shanghai turmoil. The rest is engrossing. Oddly, though nominated for six Academy Awards, there was no nomination for film or director.

1. Steven Spielberg film? The adaptation of Ballard's novel by Tom Stoppard? Literate? Cinematic?

2. Shanghai, 1941? The period, occupation and invasion? The pace and flow of the opening sequences? The transition to the prisoner-of-war camp and life there? Realism? Fantasy and dream? The boy's perspective? The musical score, the choral background? The song?

3. Japan in the '40s, expanding empire, the occupation of China, waiting for Pearl Harbor? Goals of World War Two? The treatment of prisoners? Defeat? Ballard's view?

4. The structure and the periods? The focus on Jim, his world and his viewpoint? In Shanghai, before the camp, in the camp, the passing of the years? The audience identifying with him?

5. The evocation of the period in Shanghai, the British, the Chinese, the English choir at the opening? The settlement and its British houses and lifestyle, servants, cars, meals, recreation, piano, fancy dress parties (and the guests dressed as clowns driving through the occupied streets)? The party, the scoffing at the Chinese guest? Jim and his kite, the Japanese troops behind the mound? British attitudes towards empire? prejudice about the Far East?

6. Jim, spoilt, his age, relationship with his parents, singing in choir and being distracted, school, parties, playing with his planes and his fascination with flight and kites? ordering the servants about what he was to eat? The concern about the war? Listening to the radio? His father destroying papers, but reassuring him? The change? The party and the fancy dress, his behaviour, running with the kite, discovering the troops and backing away? The build-up to the evacuation, the crowds, the dropping of his plane and separation from his parents, standing and calling them?

7. Wandering the city, returning to the house, the servants - and their slapping his face? The streets, looking for food, the mouldy food, hungry and thirsty? Wandering, riding his bike, the boy chasing him through the streets? Wanting to surrender and being bypassed? The bewilderment of an 11-year-old? The English prisoners in the truck and his chasing them with the bike?

8. His running in front of Baisie's car? Baisie and Frank, hiding, the food stash, his hunger? Baisie's American background, stewards on the ship? Hiding in Shanghai?

9. The crowds, Shanghai and the evacuees, the Japanese and the troops and the battles and the firing, the chases, the separation of families, the prisoners and the depot, Jim waking up? People whom he knew, Mr Maxton? Mr and Mrs Victor? The doctor? Baisie and Frank? The selection for going to the camp, his telling the driver the directions and his going? The arrival, the situation, the allotment of places, his being cared for by the Victors?

10. Life in the camp: his running, scrounging and exchanging, contacts with everyone, the food and the lice, singing to the Japanese pilots, helping with the hospital, pumping the woman's heart? The officers, kow-towing to them? Baisie and the Americans, the goods, the map, the plan, the clashes with Frank? Living with the victors, watching them, Mrs Victor's illness? The doctor at the hospital, the mosquito net for the dying? Playing with the children? The style of life in the camp, the people crowded together? The plan for hunting the pheasant, his slipping out under the wire, in the mud, his being pursued, saved by the Japanese flier whose kite he had returned? Coping in the camp, his age, change?

11. Jim and the Japanese fliers, planes, his dream, the young Japanese and, the glider, the later bombings of the camp, the Japanese suicide squad, the young Japanese and saving him because of the glider, friendship, his offering the mango and taking out the sword, being shot? Jim pumping his heart?

12. Baisie as King Rat in the camp, his style, teaching Jim, Jim's moving in with the Americans? Baisie being beaten, his goods, the escape, the return, the confrontation with the disillusioned Jim? Offering him the Hershey Bar?

13. Jim's parents and their spoiling him, the lifestyle, separation, the final reunion and its emotion? Searching for Jim and recognising him? the embrace? The Victors, their relationship, Jim watching them and their lovemaking? The evacuation, Mrs Victor pretending to be dead, the atomic bomb flash - and his thinking it was her soul going to heaven?

14. The doctor and his going to the camp, the operations, his being beaten and Jim kow-towing for him and breaking the window, his giving lessons to Jim?

15. The Japs, the guards, their cruelty, their rituals, the kamikaze pilots? Defeat?

16. The end of the war and Baisie going, the group wandering as evacuees, hungry and thirsty, the oval with all their old wealth - the surreal aspects? Jim seeing the car? Staying, pretending to be dead?

17. His return to the camp, the encounter with Baisie? His realising what had happened to him? The reunion with his parents?

18. A film of the 20th century, war, the end of the 19th century lifestyle and perspective? Prisoner-of-war camps, change and survival?