‘Unbroken’ provides brutality, yet ignores mentality

By Heather Carr, staff writer

“Unbroken,”  based on the novel by Laura Hillenbrand, tells the true story of Louis Zamperini,  an Olympic runner-turned-bombardier who fought on the Pacific front in World War Two and was later captured by the Japanese and placed in a POW camp.

Zamperini, the son of Italian immigrants, became a troublemaker during his childhood until, with encouragement of his older brother Pete, he decided to live up to his athletic potential in running. He eventually  competed at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany.

When the United States entered World War Two, however, Zamperini enlisted into the armed forces, and was deployed to Hawaii as a bombardier aboard a B-24 fighter plane.

In the midst of a rescue mission, their plane crashes, and Zamperini and two of his fellow airmen were stranded aboard a raft for 47 days.

The three actors undergo a tremendous weight loss to depict the survivors’ ordeal, and once two are picked up by a passing Japanese vessel, they are taken to different POW camps. Zamperini, who is stationed in a camp commanded by a sergeant who takes a special interest in torturing him.

However, although the emphasis on prisoner abuse is a key component in this adaptation, the effects of this on Zamperini after the war are scarcely noted. The film gives a harrowing account of violence and brutality, but fails to fully address the theme of  perseverance through difficult times.

This downplays one of the most contributive factors to defining Louis’ struggle to remain “unbroken.” Unlike Hillebrand’s novel, which fully acknowledges the internal struggle he faced after the war, the film very nearly ignores his pivotal moments.

“Unbroken” is a remarkable movie, brilliantly acted and cleverly scripted, yet remains incomplete in fully living up to its namesake by lacking a few major factors.