Review: Jack O'Connell Proves 'Unbroken' In Breakout Role

Adam Reynoso ’15 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

From director Angelina Jolie comes a powerful, moving true story of survival and what Olympian Louis Zamperini went through during World War II. It digs into the characters and makes the audience empathize with what they’re going through reminding them of what war is really like.
The films greatest surprise is actor Jack O’Connell’s portrayal of Zamperini. With a supporting role in 300: Rise of an Empire and a lead role in the second generation in the UK drama, Skins, this is O’Connell’s first real starring role. Even so, he shows the different sides of Zamperini and really proves how much skill he has.
The story itself is pretty straightforward and is told in two parts. It starts in the middle of an attack in the sky, intertwined with flashbacks to Zamperini’s childhood and eventually his competition in the Olympics. The way the film mixes the two together works well and seamlessly, as well as serving as a great way to break up the action and build on the suspense.

However, the real story takes off after a plane crash into the ocean and Zamperini’s left on a raft with two other crewmen played by Domhall Gleeson and Finn Wittrock. Their time lost at sea fills up the first half of the story and it avoids the trappings most similar films fall into by really examining what these men went through. The biggest challenge for them is to maintain their will to live, as well as keeping their sanity.
It’s in this segment that we really get into these characters. Wittrock, now playing a completely opposite role than he does on American Horror Story, shows a kind of cocky soldier at first, before the reality of being stranded out at sea really makes him question whether or my they’ll make it. Gleeson plays the more intelligent type and one who also fears what may happen, but thanks to O’Connell’s support, holds on to hope. They spend 47 days out there and it isn’t the easiest, but they fight to survive. However, not all of them make it out.

But it’s during the next half that O’Connell really shines. He and the other survivor are taken into a Japanese war camp where they’re held prisoners. Some of these scenes are hard to watch, but they’re necessary. It’s the harsh truth about war and its depicted in a real, grinding way here. O’Connell played this part perfectly, so much that it was truly gut wrenching to see him have to go through all of this torment, but that speaks to his acting ability.
Jolie’s done an extraordinary job with Unbroken and really telling this story in the best way possible. She chose O’Connell because she saw the promise he has as an actor and he proved her right with this role. While there are some spots that might lag and maybe others that could use more time, the film still balanced this in an admirable way.
Overall Grade: B+

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