Posted on 01/02/2015 6:16:05 AM PST by KeyLargo
‘Unbroken’ and Billy Graham The movie and the book about Louis Zamperini’s life skimp on the pivotal role of a certain preacher.
By Grant Wacker Jan. 1, 2015
Newspaper headlines agreed. Billy Graham —“heaven’s super salesman,” “the Lord’s top salesman”—knew how to close the deal. If he just read from a telephone book, one associate quipped, people would stand up and commit their lives to Christ.
Louis Zamperini, who died July 2 at age 97, was a case in point. The Olympic distance runner and World War II hero is the subject of Laura Hillenbrand ’s acclaimed 2010 biography, “Unbroken,” and of the new Angelina Jolie-directed movie based on the book.
As Ms. Hillenbrand tells the story, after mechanical problems caused Zamperini’s B-24 Liberator bomber to crash into the Pacific in 1943, the bombardier endured 47 days drifting on a life raft, and then two horrific years in a Japanese prison camp. When he returned to California at the end of the war, Zamperini fell into a maw of nightmares, alcoholism and severe post-traumatic stress, obsessively dreaming of taking revenge on the Japanese.
In 1949 Zamperini’s wife implored him to go with her to Billy Graham’s tent revival in downtown Los Angeles. The second night, Zamperini “walked the sawdust trail”—and publicly professed his newfound faith. He tossed out booze and cigarettes and embraced a lifetime of selfless Christian service, including a trip to Japan to forgive his tormentors.
Though Ms. Hillenbrand recounts Zamperini’s conversion, she doesn’t say much about how it influenced the rest of his life. In the movie “Unbroken,” Billy Graham goes unmentioned, and Zamperini’s redemption narrative is largely reduced to a few title cards flashed before the closing credits. Yet Zamperini himself believed that the religious event was the pivotal moment of his long journey.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Greta had Franklin Graham on last nite and had a special about his Christian life after the war. Franklin Graham is doing a film about his relationship and his father’s.
I read the book. There was quite a bit in it about his conversion and it was very moving. He began to truly live once he accepted Jesus.
Looks like a good movie. Not every movie can be everything we want it to be. I enjoyed the book but probably won’t read it again. I’m a rereader. I read classics multiple times. nuff said.
“The whole point of the book was Zamperini’s conversion at a Billy Graham crusade and his redemption and the message of hope in Christ.
So what is the point of the movie?”
I saw the movie yesterday. Incredible movie. True it didn’t mention the Billy Graham part or much of his life after he got home.
But that’s ok. It wasn’t a documentary; and it did mention his faith more than once; that’s good enough for me.
The good points are; the movie DID get made and has introduced tens of thousands to his story. It DOES mention his faith. And the book is out there and the movie will spur many people to read his book who otherwise wouldn’t have read it.
To dismiss the movie because it does no dwell on the Billy Graham aspect of the book is ludicrous. It is a movie, not a 10 hour epic. All movies shortchange the books they are about because you can't put the entire 400 pages of the book into a two hour movie. Jolie wanted to focus on the inhuman experiences Zamperini had to endure and survive as a result of the plane crash and the Japanese POW camps. Saying the movie should have focused on the end of the book when Louie found Christ, is disingenuous, at best.
Maybe you could go see the sequel where they focus on that part of the book.
Christian Group Blasts Left With Bold New Year’s Eve Billboard In Times Square
“To all our intolerant liberal friends...”
Creationist organization Answers in Genesis chose one of the most widely viewed locations in the world for its brief, pointed New Year’s Eve advertisement. Founder Ken Ham explained in a Facebook message that his group chose New York City’s Times Square as the backdrop for its 15-second billboard message.
MESSAGE
Seriously, if you ever think you are having an extremely bad day in your life, think again. Read the book or watch the movie. You will immediately realize that your life is just fine and you have nothing to complain about. Our perceived problems are nothing compared to what Louie Zamperini and others, like him endured.
Lou Zamperini and Billy Graham — good read
For a movie done by Angelina Jolie, I was genuinely impressed by the amount of times that God was mentioned and credited for saving Zamperini.
As it compares to the book, I’m sure it was no where near, but I didn’t go into it with that expectation.
I’ve lost all respect for Billy Graham ever since he wholeheartedly said Hitlery would be a great president.
I assuming he was senile when he said it. If not, then he’s an absolute fool.
I don’t believe I’ll see the movie, they left out the the biggest and most important event in his life, I may read the book.
LOL- if that was the only message you came away with after reading that book i suggest you take reading comprehension classes...
btw- its sad you need a book to give you messages...i read the book not because i was looking for any message rather i wanted to know the story and the facts...
In a recently aired interview, I think by Tom Brokaw, Zamperini was asked how long it took for him to be able to forgive his prison tormenters. Louis liked up with his guileless bright blue eyes and said it was instantaneous—the moment he gave his heart to Jesus Christ at the Billy Graham rally.
Louis lived the next seventy years based on that commitment to Christ. It’s a shame the movie shortchanged that part of the story.
I hope you will read the book. You won’t regret it.
It was a decent movie for sure. I enjoyed it. I sorta see why it is not getting a bunch of awards though. I certainly don’t think hat Billy Graham is anywhere near the greatness of Mr. Zamperini and I am insulted if people believe that.
Too bad Clint Eastwood didn’t produce it instead of Joilie.
Typical Hollywood stunt.
Stunt? It was all about World War II and the absolute hell that he went through. Billy Graham didn’t go through anything near what he went through. Billy Graham should not even be mentioned.
Thanks for the ping. “Unbroken” is one of the best books I have ever read. Many veterans with PTSD need to read it. ALL of it.
As a nation, Japan has never come to grips with its actions during World War II, or its occupation of Korea (which began 30 years earlier), and Manchuria, which started in the early 1930s.
The legacy of Japanese militarism is one of torture, rape and genocide—pure and simple. Louis Zamperini was a lucky man; most of the Allied POWs who were captured by the empire of Japan were executed or died in captivity. You can easily find photographs of Japanese officers beheading captured Allied pilots and aircrew members. Conditions at POW camps in the Philippines (and elsewhere) were beyond barbaric.
In his superb book “Ghost Soldiers” Hampton Sides detailed the suffering of American soldiers who survived the Bataan Death March, only to wind up in the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than a year into their ordeal, the remaining American and Filipino prisoners finally celebrated “Zero Day,” the first day a prisoner didn’t die from starvation, disease or torture.
I’ve been told that many Japanese textbooks essentially whitewash the World War II period as an “unfortunate era” or something along those lines. The rape of Nanking, the treatment of Korean “comfort women” and other crimes receive almost no attention.
MacArthur was anxious to establish peace and transquility in post-war Japan, so he took a fairly liberal policy on punishing war criminals. A number were prosecuted, but many escaped or got off with relatively mild sentences. One of the most brutal guards at Canbanatuan, for example, served in the Diet in the 1950s; never renounced his past and finally disappeared in Vietnam in the 60s (here’s hoping the CIA got him). Likewise, one of the men who tortured Louis Zamperini refused to meet with him when the former POW offered forgiveness.
“I thought that it was very unusual for Hollywood to portray Japanese soldiers as sadistic in today’s PC world.”
Yes; very good point. It was good that this was shown. Too many people are not aware of that; or have forgotten.
People shouldn’t complain that the movie wasn’t essentially a documentary.
Movies based on real events; NEVER show the entire life story from start to finish.
I was pleased that it was even made; and it showed what it did.
It will get people curious and they will read the book.
You must forgive others in order to be forgiven your own sins.
The harder part is forgetting.
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