Empire of the Sunis a 1987 American coming of age war film based on J. G. Ballard 's semi-autobiographical novel of the same name . Steven Spielberg directed the film, which stars Christian Bale , John Malkovich , Miranda Richardson , and Nigel Havers . The film tells the story of Jamie "Jim" Graham, a young boy who goes from living in a wealthy British family in Shanghai , to becoming a prisoner of war in Lunghua Civilian Assembly Center , a Japanese internment camp , during World War II .

Harold Becker and David Lean were originally to direct before Spielberg came on board, initially as a producer for Lean.Spielberg was attracted to directing the film because of a personal connection to Lean's films and World War II topics. He considers it to be his most profound work on "the loss of innocence".The film received critical acclaim but was not initially a box office success, earning only $22,238,696 at the US box office but eventually more than recouped its budget through revenues in other markets.

The Empire of Japan had been at war with China since 1937 before declaring war on the United States and the United Kingdom. During the conflict, Jamie Graham, a British upper middle class schoolboy living in Shanghai , is separated from his parents. He spends some time living in his deserted house and eating remnants of food; eventually, he ventures out into the city and finds it bustling with Japanese troops. Jamie is captured along with Basie, an American sailor, who nicknames him "Jim". They are taken to Lunghua Civilian Assembly Center in Shanghai, but are eventually moved to Suzhou Creek Internment Camp. By 1945, a few months before the end of the Pacific War , Jim has established a good living, despite the poor conditions of the camp. He has an extensive trading network, even involving the camp's commanding officer, Sergeant Nagata.

Dr. Rawlins, the camp's British director, becomes a father figure to Jim. Through the barbwire fencing, Jim befriends a Japanese teenager, who shares Jim's dream of becoming a pilot. Still idolizing Basie, Jim frequently visits him in the American soldiers' barracks. At one point, Basie charges him to set snare traps outside the wire of the camp and while Jim succeeds, thanks to the help of the Japanese teenager from the other side, the real reason for sending Jim into the marsh was actually to test the area for mines, not to catch game. As a reward, Basie allows him to move into the American barracks with him. Basie then plots to escape.

Nagata visits Basie's barracks and Nagata beats him severely after discovering a stolen bar of Japanese soap hidden under a table. While Basie is in the infirmary, his possessions are stolen by other men in the camp. One morning at dawn, Jim witnesses a kamikaze ritual of three Japanese pilots at the air base. Overcome with emotion at the solemnity of the ceremony he begins to sing the Welsh song Suo Gân . Later, the camp comes under attack by a group of American P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft. As a result of the attack, the Japanese decide to evacuate the camp, and Basie escapes during the confusion, leaving Jim behind, although he had promised to let Jim come with him. The camp's population marches through the wilderness, where many die of fatigue, starvation, and disease. During the march Jim witnesses a flash from the atomic bombing of Nagasaki hundreds of miles away, and hears news of Japan's surrender and the end of the war.

Jim sneaks away from the group and goes back to Soochow Creek, nearly dead from starvation. He encounters the Japanese youth he knew earlier, who has since become a pilot and appears distraught at the surrender of his country. The youth remembers Jim and offers him a mango , cutting it for him with his katana sword. As Jim is about to eat it, Basie reappears with a group of armed Americans, who have arrived to loot the Red Cross containers that were dropped after the Japanese surrender. One of the Americans, thinking Jim is in danger, shoots and kills the Japanese youth. Jim, furious, beats the American who shot his friend. Basie drags him off and promises to take him back to Shanghai to find his parents, but Jim refuses the offer and stays behind. He is found by American soldiers and put in an orphanage in Shanghai with other children who had lost their parents. When his parents come looking for him, Jim is so scarred from his experiences that he does not recognize them at first.