Over the next few months, I heard just a little more about this fascinating man. When I was given the opportunity to review the Unbroken Legacy of Faith Edition on DVD from FishFlix.com, I knew that this was something my family needed to see.
In regards to the movie, Unbroken, I was curious to see how Hollywood would handle a movie involving Faith. My town of Springfield, Missouri boasts one of it's hometown boys as Brad Pitt. The movie's producer, Angelina Jolie, doesn't profess to be a Christian nor does Brad. However, Brad's parents and family are people of strong faith. Would they make light of the spiritual aspects of Mr. Zamperini's story?
More on my thoughts in a minute, but I have to say I am so pleased I received the whole package from FishFlix.com. If you have seen Unbroken or are curious about viewing it I can't recommend enough getting the Legacy of Faith Edition. You won't help but be moved.
Louis Zamperini, himself, is a fascinating character. He was an Olympic athlete in the 1936 Berlin games. He even met Adolf Hitler (he talks of his handshake of being 'limp). He was in WWII and during a routine rescue mission his plane went down in the vast Pacific Ocean. It killed 8 of the 11 crew members on board. He and his fellow survivors drifted for 47 days. They survived sharks, a Japanese bomber and savage conditions. He was "rescued" by the Japanese Navy and taken prisoner. It was a nightmarish experience.
When he was finally rescued after the war, Mr. Zamperini married. He battled PTSD and woke up one night strangling his wife. One fateful night, Mr. Zamperini's life and heart was changed forever. He was saved at a Billy Graham crusade. He eventually met with most of the Japanese guards who had tortured him and forgave them.
The movie, Unbroken, deals with Mr. Zamperini's life before conversion....his troubled childhood, his Olympic experience and his trails during WWII. Many were disappointed that the movie didn't highlight his conversion experience. I recognize that Hollywood isn't going to understand how significant this was. They simply cannot see. I do appreciate that they at least highlighted one specific promise Louis made to God during a harrowing moment. It was an intense movie. There weren't very many light moments. I felt that if my 13-year-old son can view an action/adventure movie about Middle Earth he can certainly see a man's story of trial and hardship. If you have young ones I don't recommend the movie just yet. They need to be fairly mature.
In addition to the movie, we were so blessed to have that additional 90 minute DVD that tells the rest of Mr. Zamperini's story.
~Coming Full Circle---Louie’s Exclusive CBN Interview
~Louie & Laurie---Pastor Greg Laurie Interviews Louie Zamperini
~Captured By Grace---The Billy Graham Evangelical Association and Louie Zamperini Gives An Inspirational Message Of Faith
~Angelina & Louie---Angelina Jolie Talks With Louie About The Faith That Sustained Him
We watched every minute. I can't express enough how much this man's testimony touched me. He was witty and sharp as a tack. But more importantly you can sense his heart. I am so glad I got to share this with my son.
I wasn't familiar with FishFlix before this review. They are an online retailer for Christian and Inspirational movies. This is a fantastic resource for Christians! They have done a super job with the whole package. Not only that, I just spied one of my favorite new series on their website. It's going on my wishlist for sure!
You can connect with FishFlix via the following social media outlets. Click on the banner to read more reviews. Some of the Crew Members reviewed other films, as well.
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