Remember the date! I have been waiting for years for Mr. Zamperini's story to come to life on the screen. I first read his book "Devil At My Heels" in 2004 and I told you all about him in this post.... here.
Angelina Jolie will direct the movie and for the first promotional shot for the movie instead of having the stars line up for the camera, she posed with her head on the shoulder of Mr. Zamperini. Some might say it looks cheesy or corny but I don't think so. I believe that her admiration for him is genuine and Mr. Zamperini seems very pleased to have her direct this movie. (She lives not far from him in Hollywood and they have become friends over the past months in preparation for this movie.) He gave her a gold pendant in the shape of a running shoe, which is one of the first prizes that he won as a track star. She had expressed that she will wear it during the entire filming of the movie. The actor who will portray Mr. Zamperini is Jack O'Connell, a young man from England! The other two young actors cast are Domhnall Gleeson (Irish) and Finn Wittrock (American). They will portray the other men who were in the life-raft with Louis Zamperini. ( Funny how well those from England and Ireland can do the American accents so well!) And the man who will play the Japanese guard in the prison camp will be a Japanese musician by the name of Miyavi. Apparently, he is a very popular star in Japan, one of the biggest ones, from what I have read.
Oh! And the Cohen brothers have written the screenplay for the movie. ("O, Brother Where Art Thou" is one of my favorites that they have done!)
If you don't know one thing about me, know this: I have the utmost regard and respect for Louis Zamperini and his story is one that I believe that EVERYONE should know! Richard and I just watched the movie, "The Life of Pi" and all I could think of was this...why in the world was a book of fiction so popular when there is the inspiring true story of Louis Zamperini? He was adrift at sea for 47 days but was picked up by the Japanese and then spent two years in Japanese POW camps where he was brutally tortured. He went through very tough times after the war but turned his life around after hearing Billy Graham in the early years of his ministry. Louis Zamperini is a Christian and makes no bones about it, but at the same time, he is very much against hitting folks over the head with a Bible, he simply leads an astonishing Christian life. He has been an inspirational speaker for decades and at the age of 96, is still available for public speaking. Unbroken, indeed!
(Mr. Zamperini passed away on July 2, 2014. May he rest in peace.)
This movie will be a must-see for me!
I look forward to seeing this movie!
ReplyDeleteMe and you both!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThank you. And I hope that you will read these books about Mr. Zamperini and watch the movie!
DeleteThat's one i'll take the kids to see!
ReplyDeleteWell, we might have to wait and see...I suspect that the movie might focus on some of the more brutal aspects and I wonder if it would be good for children to see. I think that all adults should see the movie!
DeleteI just recently read this wonderful and so inspiring and heart-wrenching book, Unbroken. When I read that Angelina Jolie was making a movie of it, I was excited, but then I wondered, can she possibly do justice to it. I hope so because it is one of the best stories I have ever read. And now I am going to have to find the other book, Devil at my Heels. Thank you for writing about this.
ReplyDeleteI was grateful that Laura Hillenbrand wrote her very detailed book, I was glad to know what happened to all the characters in the first book that I read, "Devil At My Heels". Mr. Zamperini's story is so dear to my heart that I felt as if know him and all his friends and family. I hope that they will be able to do justice to this story, it's truly a remarkable one.
DeleteThanks so much for your comment.
I will definitely see that movie.....even if Angelina Jolie is involved. His story is so amazing!!!
ReplyDeleteOh, if you ever the chance, watch this movie, "The Changling" with Angelina Jolie in the lead. Clint Eastwood was the director. It is based on a true story and it will break your heart.
Delete"..why in the world was a book of fiction so popular when there is the inspiring true story of Louis Zamperini?" Answer: because there is so much brutal realism in the world people want escapism. Will I watch the movie? I'm not sure. Probably.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand escapism, honestly, I do but I promise you, if you knew of a story of a man who had REALLY survived at sea in the most horrible of circumstances, surviving an airplane crash with very little food and water, and with tools that were no help whatsover.. (After Mr. Zamperini's story, the military CHANGED the supplies left in their life-rafts!) ...you would feel just the way that I do!
DeleteThere were aspects of "The Life Of Pi" that I truly liked...the beautiful dreamy images, the actors (loved the young man who played "Pi"), the music and even some of the aspects about faith but the part AT SEA just made me shake my head in wonder...there is a REAL story and the man is still ALIVE who can tell you about it!
I read that Ang Lee (the director of "The Life Of Pi" )interviewed Steven Callahan who had been adrift at sea for 76 days in the Atlantic, in help in filming the ocean scenes.... and I could not help but notice that many of the observations that Pi makes are the same ones that Mr. Zamperini expressed in his book!
Today I will be volunteering at the local library and always on the lookout for books to take home and read, so thanks for alerting me to the story of Mr. Zamperini. We are not so much movie goers without a major cinema near here, so unless the film eventually goes to Netflix, Inwould miss seeing it.
ReplyDeleteMake sure you see it on Netflix then!
Delete"Devil At My Heels" is the book written by Louis Zamperini and David Rensin.
"Unbroken" by Laura HIllenbrand goes into much more detail. I have a special fondness for the first book since that is where I first learned about this great story of survival, forgiveness and redemption.
I hope the film is a big success.
ReplyDeleteI hope so too.
DeleteHere I am again, Kay. It's amazing how much one can fall in love with someone they don't know. I loved this book and Louis' story. He will always be a hero to me.
ReplyDeleteYou're not kidding. I felt like I had lost a friend when he died, although, we had never met.
Delete