‘Unbroken’ Movie 2014 Release Date: Japan Actor Miyavi Defends Angelina Jolie Following Attack by Japanese Nationalists
Protest groups are condemning Angelina Jolie's $65 million World War II epic "Unbroken," the biopic of Louis Zamperini, for its for its depiction of prisoner abuse at the hands of Japanese guards.
According to Indiewire, the movie is based on the 2010 non-fiction novel "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption" by Laura Hillenbrand, which was inspired by the true story of an Olympic runner who survived a plane crash over the Pacific, only to be imprisoned in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp, where he spent two and a half years.
Citing a false depiction of the treatment of prisoners in Japanese POW camps for dramatic affect, Japanese nationalists have endeavored to get Jolie's upcoming film banned from their country.
"It's pure fabrication," secretary general of Japan's Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact Hiromichi Moteki told The Telegraph. "This movie has no credibility and is immoral."
The film's source material was met with similar criticism. Hillenbrand's graphic descriptions in the book showcased prisoners of war being "stabbed or clubbed to death" and tortured in various ways.
However, experts like Mindy Kotler of the Washington research center Asia Policy Point said the depictions are not inaccurate.
"There is plenty of documentation on the abuse and tortures inflicted upon POWs," she explained, adding that there were several eyewitness accounts and various forensic evidence that support POWs' claims of abuse.
Jolie gained massive attention earlier this year for being tough-as-nails behind the camera, when Japanese singer-actor Miyavi, 33, who portrays sadistic POW camp guard Mutsuhiro "The Bird" Watanabe, admitted to E! Online that he felt "physically sick" while filming torturing the captives. However, on Tuesday, "Unbroken" stars Jack O'Connell and Miyavi joined Jolie in an interview with Savannah Guthrie and Tom Brokaw on the "TODAY" show to talk about the importance of the film.
Miyavi came to Jolie's defense.
"[Jolie] said she wanted to create something meaningful which could be a bridge between America and Japan," Miyavi said. "This is all about [Zamperini's] message: forgiveness and how strong a human being can be."
Jolie spoke about "Unbroken's" message for Americans.
"We are losing these men and women ... Their commitment to their community, their family, their faith -- it's extraordinary," she said of the World War II generation.
"Unbroken" opens Dec. 25.
A special on the movie, "Angelina Jolie: Unbroken," airs Tuesday at 10 p.m. on NBC.
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