Movie Review: Unbroken

If you can take it, you can make it. Quite the motivational flick based on a true story, Unbroken tells the tale of Louis Zamperini (Jack O’Connel) who masters the art of hard work as he grows up. His resilience sees him become the best in athletics, thanks to which he joins the American Olympics team.

Zamperini then joins the Air Force during World War II, but a twist in events sees their jet crash after which they get marooned in the deep seas.

In a situation where giving up seems like the only option, Zamperini and his fellow crew mates hope for the best. They are saved by Japanese who take them away as Prisoners of War (POW).

At the camp, their brutal head known as ‘The Bird’ (Miyavi) always seems to pick on Zamperini. Eventually, both of them display an impressive psychological war that is bound to get viewers quite engrossed.

It’s a clash of the egos crowned off with tension at the camp where the prisoners of war seemingly go through worse torture than being marooned at sea.

Thumbs up: True to its name, the movie portrays Zamperini’s unbroken spirit from start to finish with tight-knit scenes that seamlessly flow in a bid to deliver the point home. Based on a true story, it also rekindles a sense of history from the World War II era.

Thumbs down: One would easily overlook the overly dramatic scenes if the film was based on fiction, but owing to the fact that it was a reflection of Zamperini’s life, some scenes feel exaggerated. The background music based on World War II theme songs are quite distracting while the dramatic flashback scenes into his past also extinguish certain levels of thrill.

Verdict: Unbroken is the kind of movie that could simultaneously rekindle hope and give motivation to anyone who may need it, while narrating a well-directed story line.