Book vs Movie: Empire of the Sun

J.G. Ballard's semi-autobiographical novel Empire of the Sun is a dark, gritty look at a young boy's coming of age in WWII Japanese occupied Shanghai. Steven Spielberg's 1987 film adaptation turned it into a mostly overlooked and forgotten cinematic epic starring Christian Bale and John Malkovich. But how much was changed from book to screen? In this video, I compare the major differences between the novel and the film, analyze what worked and what didn't, and look at some of the subplots that were left on the cutting room floor. Sound effects/music obtained from: https://zapsplat.com 00:00 An underrated film 00:34 This is Jim 0051 Spielberg's adaptation 01:57 The beggar 02:25 Similarities and differences 03:47 WWIII 05:03 Actions mirrored 05:50 The golf shoes 06:17 A comparison of endings