Empire of the Sun - Definition and Overview

Empire of the Sun DVD

Empire of the Sun is a 1984 novel by J. G. Ballard. Though it is fiction, it draws extensively on Ballard's experiences in World War II, recounting the story of a young English boy, Jim Graham, whose family are living in Shanghai just before its capture by the Japanese. A later book by Ballard, The Kindness of Women, is a sequel.

The book was filmed by Steven Spielberg in 1987, to critical acclaim, being nominated for six Oscars and winning three British Academy Awards (Cinematography, Music and Sound). It starred John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, and Christian Bale.

It seems that it was Bale who drew the director's attention to the Welsh song "Suo Gan" sung by the Richard Williams Singers, and which is the background music in the film.