Review by Joseph Anthony
There has never been a shortage of World War II stories coming out of
Hollywood – PATTON tearing through the scenery of Africa, a rescue mission in
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, the weight of the Holocaust in SCHINDLER’S LIST, or the
beaches of the Pacific Theater in LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA (the list goes on). This year, Angelina Jolie directs the true
story of Louis Zamperini in UNBROKEN, based on Laura Hillenbrand’s 2010 novel
of the same name.
Zamperini’s story is absolutely incredible, the kind of
story that has to be told. He is
inspiring, strong, and – though he is of Italian descent – oozes the American
spirit. Zamperini was raised in Torrance, California with his
Italian family where he is bullied because of his heritage. As a result, he embraces a loner
lifestyle. Eventually Zamperini turns his anger into fuel, going on to be one
of the best high school track runners in the country and eventually
participating in the Olympics in Germany.
