Unbroken

アンジェリーナ・ジョリーが監督した映画「Unbroken」は、日本兵が米軍捕虜を虐待する場面が、日本で話題になっているようですが、私にとっては、この退屈な作品に2時間以上縛られたこと自体が拷問でした。ネットでは日本軍が人肉を食う場面があるとか騒がれてますが、そんなこともなく、捕虜の虐待は、他の戦争映画に比べてことさら酷いようには見えなかった。というか、嘘を誠と信じさせる映画の力が見事に欠如した作品なので(事実に基づいた作品ではありますが)、主人公に感情移入できず、拷問を受けようがどうしようが気にならない。拷問場面に限らず、映画館の観客の反応もありませんでした。

People in Japan are concerned about torture scenes in Japanese prison camps on USA Olympian Louis Zamperini, but real torture is sitting through this very flat movie. The script is OK, but direction and camerawork is so boring and banal that almost no thrill and devoid of movie magic which makes us believe real and palpable.

All the characters including Zamperini are not interesting. Only exception is a sadistic Japanese guard who torture Zamperini played by Miyavi. He is no great actor, but at least he showed some personality. Since no personality felt from Zamperini and other POW, torture scenes was nothing visceral and those are not that violent as a war film anyway. There was no reaction from audience when Zamperini was tortured (I was only Japanese in the theater) and seemed like more people went to the bathroom than usual. The best scene came to the very end and very brief- the footage of real Zamperini running as a torch bearer in Nagano Winter Olympic. This good true story deserves better direction.