Tom Stoppard script adapted from J.G. Ballard's book (which is quite heavily fictionalised). Christian Bale gives a star-making performance and the wonderful singing of James Rainbird is heard in two key scenes.

My Movie Rating: 9 / 10

A boy movie on a truly epic scale with Christian Bale acting his heart out in so many different and demanding situations on an actor. A grand adventure but, I agree, possibly a trifle too long.

My Movie Rating: 6 / 10

I started following Bales career after seeing this movie, he IS the consimate actor, he goes to great lenghts to study for a roll, He starved himself for upto 3 days to prepare for 1 scene in the movie American Psycho! and in this movie he did well playing the snobish british boy, turned desperate prisoner, trying to survive. I think it took a few years to make this film, because Bale looks much older at the end of the film, usually a production Co. will film the start and finish of a film, to insure it gets finished,( if something happens to one of the key actors before the completion, they can compensate. ie. actor John Candy died before the completion of the film Wagons East, but because they filmed both the opening and ending, they were able to compensate for his absence). This is one of Speilbergs best works!

My Movie Rating: 10 / 10