Unbroken

Chief Chick Comments

This story finally told by Angelina Jolie is remarkable. Zamperini's story has been known since World War II yet was only recently told in the book by Laura Hillenbrand "Unbroken" and now by Jolie. Zamperini died about 6 months before the film was released, yet Jolie showed him some scenes on her computer before he died of pneumonia at age 97. For most of us, the hardship and pain Zamperini endured is unimaginable. Yet his credo of "If I can take it, I can make it" given to him by his older brother helped see him through 47 days on a life raft with two others(one Phil became a life long friend) and two years in Japanese prisoner of war camps where he was singled out by the sadistic commander because he had been an Olympic Athlete of some fame having run the fastest lap ever recorded during the 1936 Olympics. Because of the war, Zamperini never ran in the 1940 Olympics which were cancelled where he might well have become as famous as Jesse Owens had become in 1936. This story covers his life until his return after the war but tells us with pictures and postscripts that he married Cynthia Applewhite after the war and remained married until her death in the 2001. Zamperini became close friends of Jolie while she worked on his story. This film is inspirational and heroic. Some have criticized the cinematography and direction, but frankly, I did not notice anything out of place and was focused on this story. Should be nominated for many Academy Awards.

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