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Unbroken: Portrayal Of War

Decent Essays

Unbroken: Analysis of the Portrayal of War War is proven to be a contest that produces no winner. In the film Unbroken, directed by Angelina Jolie, two sides are examined: the Japanese soldiers, exemplified by a man nicknamed “The Bird”, and the prisoners in the Japanese POW camp, specifically former Olympian Louie Zamperini. Even though history declares America the “winner”, this film shows the contrary; American soldiers must deal with grueling conditions in a POW camp and endure the cruel treatment of The Bird. However, the narrative that history primarily recognizes is still present in the short portrayal of Japan post-atomic bomb; the audience was shown a city in ruins with its buildings torn down, reduced to rubble, and bodies being …show more content…

“If we win, we’re dead” he warns them. This quote displays how the prisoners realize that the American’s success would translate into their deaths. Furthermore, the inevitable defeat of either the prisoners or the United States in this situation demonstrates the absence of a true “winner” as a result of war itself. Overall, the position that Zamperini finds himself in provides a contrast to the illusion that Americans had emerged victorious over the Japanese after the war. He must endure the wrath of the Bird, such as being punched in the face by each prisoner because he decided not to lie about America and his situation for a Japanese radio show. Zamperini, a representation for the United States of America, had experienced sever abuse at the camp. This provides a metaphor for the true result of World War II, or any war, as portrayed in Unbroken: that war guarantees no legitimate …show more content…

As the Japanese soldiers march the POWs into a new camp, the company must walk through a city brought down to the ground. On top of the pile of rubble, corpses covered by sheets are surrounded by grieving people; with a Japanese Torii the only structure left standing; it is highly inferred that this destruction is the result of the atomic bombs dropped by the United States. This scene displays the equally-less discussed point of view of the uninvolved Japanese citizens, in order to complement the movie’s focus the POWs. The historical defeat of Japan in World War II, as featured in Unbroken, reveals the point of view of an American looking in on the destruction left by their home country, a feeling shown through the somber faces of the POWs as they marched on. Along with their countenance, the stealing glances taken by the prisoners demonstrate their second-hand guilt as they look on at the bodies and mourners that travel the city. Decisions to include scenes such as this were a result of the director of the film, in this case Angelina

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