Unbroken | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Angelina Jolie |
Produced by |
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Screenplay by |
Joel Coen Ethan Coen Richard LaGravenese William Nicholson |
Based on |
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand |
Starring | |
Music by | Alexandre Desplat |
Cinematography | Roger Deakins |
Edited by |
Tim Squyres William Goldenberg |
Production
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Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date
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Running time
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137 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English Japanese Italian |
Budget | $65 million |
Box office | $163 million |
Unbroken is a 2014 American war film produced and directed by Angelina Jolie, written by the Coen brothers, Richard LaGravenese, and William Nicholson, based on the 2010 non-fiction book by Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. The film revolves around the life of USA Olympian and army officer Louis "Louie" Zamperini. Zamperini survived in a raft for 47 days after his bomber crash landed in the ocean during World War II, then was sent to a series of prisoner of war camps.
The film had its world premiere in Sydney on November 17, 2014, and received a wide release in the United States on December 25, 2014. The film grossed $116 million in North America, with a worldwide total of over $163 million.
The film opens with Louis "Louie" Zamperini flying as a bombardier of a United States Army Air Forces B-24 Liberator bomber, during an April 1943 bombing mission against the Japanese-held island of Nauru. The plane is badly damaged in combat, with a number of the crew injured. The pilot, Phil, manages to bring it to a stop at the end of the runway thanks to an exploded tire.
The story flashes back to Louie's childhood as a young Italian-American boy in Torrance, California. Louie is a troublemaker, who steals, drinks liquor and smokes, to the disappointment of his parents. He is often picked on by other kids for being of Italian ethnicity. One day, Louie is caught looking up women's dresses from under the bleachers during a track meet. His brother Peter sees how fast Louie runs away and decides to train him to be a runner. As he grows, Louie becomes more disciplined and also becomes an accomplished distance runner, earning him the nickname "The Torrance Tornado". He qualifies for the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. Louie comes in 8th and sets a record for speed in the final lap in the 5,000 meters race.