History Film / Unbroken

* RedemptionRejection: After the war, Zamperini wanted to meet Watanabe to say he had forgiven him, and he succeeded in meeting all of his other captors, but Watanabe refused, as [[NeverMyFault he did not see himself nor his actions as criminal]] and [[RevengeBeforeReason refuses to let go of his personal vendetta against the former up to his death]] in 2003. It's safe to say that because of this, [[DraggedOffToHell eternal damnation awaited for him for the sins he committed without repenting after he passed on to the afterlife]].

* CruelMercy: While he did escaped capture and prosecution, Watanabe had to lived up to the end of his life how Zamperini resisted his torturing shattered most of his pride and refuses to meet with him after the war to preserve any pride he has left by not seeing himself nor his actions as criminal.

* CruelMercy: While he did escaped capture and prosecution, Watanabe had to lived up to the end of his life how Zamperini resisted his torturing shattered most of his pride and refuses to meet with him after the war to preserve any pride he has left by not seeing himself nor his actions as criminal. Possibly, due to his RedemptionRejection, Watanabe in his free life never repented his sins and his soul was DraggedOffToHell when he died in April 2003.

* CruelMercy: While he did escaped capture and prosecution, Watanabe had to lived up to the end of his life how Zamperini resisted his torturing shattered most of his pride and refuses to meet with him after the war to preserve any pride he has left by not seeing himself nor his actions as criminal.

* RedemptionRejection: After the war, Zamperini wanted to meet Watanabe to say he had forgiven him, and he succeeded in meeting all of his other captors, but Watanabe refused, as [[NeverMyFault he did not see himself nor his actions as criminal]] and [[RevengeBeforeReason refuses to let go of his personal vendetta against the former up to his death]] in 2003. It's safe to say that because of this, eternal damnation awaited for him for the sins he committed without repenting after he passed on to the afterlife.

* RedemptionRejection: After the war, Zamperini wanted to meet Watanabe to say he had forgiven him, and he succeeded in meeting all of his other captors, but Watanabe refused, as he did not see himself nor his actions as criminal and refuses to let go of his personal vendetta against the former up to his death in 2003.

* SympathyForTheDevil: It's implied Zamperini carry this when visiting Watanabe's quarters and finding out his FreudianExcuse behind his sadism towards him throughout the war. It's also what prompts the former to offer his forgiveness towards Watanabe upon meeting with him after doing so with all of the other Japanese military jailers, only with Watanabe refusing out of pride preservation and not to let go of his personal vendetta against Louis.

* RedemptionRejection: After the war, Zamperini wanted to meet Watanabe to say he had forgiven him, and he succeeded in meeting all of his other captors, but Watanabe refused, as he did not see himself nor his actions as criminal.

This film is having a sequel called "Unbroken: Path to Redemption" about events only alluded to in the end of the film and covered in the book by Hillenbrand. It's to be released in the fall of 2018.

''Unbroken'' is a 2014 film released by Creator/{{Universal}} and produced by Creator/LegendaryPictures that tells the story of Olympic athlete Louie Zamperini's (Creator/JackOConnell) RealLife account in the SecondWorldWar where he was stranded in the Pacific Ocean for 47 days along with survivor Russell Phillips (Creator/DomhnallGleeson) and was consequently captured and sent to two Japanese Prisoner of War camps under the brutal and interested watch of Corporal Mutsushiro Watanabe (Music/{{Miyavi}}) -- nicknamed "The Bird" -- until the end of the war in 1945.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Miyavi, a generally all-around nice guy and loving father, as cruel and sadistic Watanabe. It's a bit surprising to learn after playing such a horrifying character, he held a special performance of his music for the cast and crew and ended up "having a jam session" with Jack O'Connell.
** Miyavi himself has stated in interviews that the violence and intensity that playing Watanabe demanded drove him to tears at times, and also made him vomit.

* EveryoneHasStandards: Even some of the other Japanese guards were put off by Watanabe's behavior.

* CriticalDissonance: The film scored a 51% on [[Website/RottenTomatoes the Tomatometer]] and a 59% on Metacritic. However, the Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes clocks in at 70%, and the audience reviews on Metacritic are overwhelmingly positive. Most critic reviews praised the actors, especially Jack O'Connell, but were all too aware of the fact that it was heavy-handed OscarBait and strongly criticized Creator/AngelinaJolie for taking too long to tell the story, focusing on the Oscar potential rather than the film, and drawing too many parallels between Zamperini and [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} Jesus Christ]].

* KarmaHoudini: Watanabe. After going into exile at the end of the war, he was added to General Douglas [=MacArthur=]'s 40 Most Wanted war criminals in Japan list in 1945. He managed to evade capture until 1952, when the charges were dropped. In a 1956 issue of ''Bungeishunjū'' during an interview titled, "''I Do Not Want to be Judged by America''", Watanabe stated “I was just in a great joy of complete release and liberation that I was not guilty.” Watanabe had children during his time in exile and died in April 2003 at age 85, and never faced prosecution for his actions during the war.

** In real life, Watanabe stated during a [[Series/60Minutes]] interview that he wasn't even ''acting on official orders'' when it came to how he treated his prisoners. To quote: “I wasn’t given military orders. Because of my own personal feelings, I treated the prisoners strictly as enemies of Japan.”

** In real life, Watanabe stated during a [[60Minutes]] interview that he wasn't even ''acting on official orders'' when it came to how he treated his prisoners. To quote: “I wasn’t given military orders. Because of my own personal feelings, I treated the prisoners strictly as enemies of Japan.”

* KarmaHoudini: Watanabe, [[CruelMercy despite having his pride broken by Zamperini through resisting his torturing methods]]. After going into exile at the end of the war, he was added to General Douglas [=MacArthur=]'s 40 Most Wanted war criminals in Japan list in 1945. He managed to evade capture until 1952, when the charges were dropped. In a 1956 issue of ''Bungeishunjū'' during an interview titled, "''I Do Not Want to be Judged by America''", Watanabe stated “I was just in a great joy of complete release and liberation that I was not guilty.”

* KarmaHoudini: Watanabe, [[CruelMercy despite having his pride broken by Zamperini through resisting his torturing methods]]. After going into exile at the end of the war, he was added to General Douglas [=MacArthur=]'s 40 Most Wanted war criminals in Japan list in 1945. He managed to evade capture until 1952, when the charges were dropped. In a 1956 issue of ''Bungeishunjū'' during an interview titled, ''I do not want to be judged by America'', Watanabe stated “I was just in a great joy of complete release and liberation that I was not guilty.”

* KarmaHoudini: Watanabe, [[CruelMercy despite having his pride broken by Zamperini through resisting his torturing methods]]. After going into exile at the end of the war, he was added to General Douglas MacArthur's 40 Most Wanted war criminals in Japan list in 1945. He managed to evade capture until 1952, when the charges were dropped. In a 1956 issue of ''Bungeishunjū'' during an interview titled, ''I do not want to be judged by America'', Watanabe stated “I was just in a great joy of complete release and liberation that I was not guilty.”

* KarmaHoudini: Watanabe, [[CruelMercy despite having his pride broken by Zamperini through resisting his torturing methods]]. Despite being on one of post-war Japan's Most Wanted lists he's never successfully captured and prosecuted.

* RedemptionRejection: After the war, Zamperini wanted to meet Watanabe to say he had forgiven him, and he succeeded in meeting all of his other captors, but Watanabe refused, still feeling that his pride has been broken by Zamperini's successful resistance to his torturing.

* DawsonCasting: Averted with Jack O'Connell. At the time of Zamperini's capture and internment at the Omori camp, he was age twenty-six. At the time of filming, Jack O'Connell was twenty-two years old.
** Played straight with Miyavi. Watanabe and Zamperini were only one year apart in age, with Watanabe being one year younger. Miyavi was thirty-three when he was cast in the role.

* SpecialEffectFailure: At times the sharks are obviously computer generated.