Comments: Up until this movie's release, the only impression I had of Steven Spielberg's talents came from E.T. and the Indiana Jones movies. So I was pleasantly surprised by how deep and moving this film was. Being completely clueless to Chinese and Japanese history at the time, I was impressed by the boldness of Spielberg to show the events of WWII from the previously unseen perspective of those living in Asia during the war. It opened my eyes to a lot of sorrow and anguish endured by not only the British and American foreign residents of southern China, but the native Chinese themeselves. A high-calibre film with amazing cinematography, an ambitious score, and a memorable performance by then newcomer Christian Bale as a young boy.