A beautiful and compelling film directed by Steven Spielberg, Empire of the Sun presents a vision of war through the eyes of a child. Jim Graham, a young British expatriate, is separated from his affluent family during the Japanese invasion of Shanghai. He eventually finds himself in a Japanese internment camp, where his experiences are colored by his dream of becoming a pilot—a dream so intense that he even longs to be inside the planes of his captors as they fly overhead. Jim's spirit and resourcefulness help him develop unlikely friendships with his fellow prisoners. Through these relationships, Jim begins to understand issues of class, national identity, and death. Empire of the Sun's cinematography is spectacularly rendered, presenting arresting images that encompass both the brutality and the beauty of wartime China. The contrasts between these alluring images and their grave subjects mirror Jim's inner conflicts; the result is an intimate coming-of-age tale with the proportions of a war epic.

Originally released in 1987, the film Empire of the Sun was adapted from J.G. Ballard's semiautobiographical novel of the same name by acclaimed playwright Tom Stoppard. Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Christian Bale, John Malkovich, and Miranda Richardson, Empire of the Sun was nominated for seven Academy Awards in 1988—including Best Cinematography—and in 1989 received BAFTA (British Academy for Film and Television Arts) Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Score, and Best Sound.