Have you seen the movie Unbroken yet? Jon and I had a last minute opportunity to sneak out for a flick Friday night. We’d been wanting to see Unbroken since opening day on Christmas. (Actually, we’d been wanting to see it for months.)

We read articles about the filming of the movie and saw a few reviews, but I still hadn’t read Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken. I really like to read the book before the movie, but it didn’t happen that way. (It was published around Hudson’s birth and surprise diagnosis. I knew I couldn’t handle it then. I bought it anyway and my big guys have all read it now. But here it is four years later and I still haven’t.)

(Spoiler alert: if you haven’t seen Unbroken and don’t want to know more, stop reading now.)

I was struck by a few themes in Unbroken:

• The horrific brutality of the Japanese prison camp guards, and particularly the “Bird”. (I found myself crouched, “hiding”. Hard to watch)
• Louie’s resilience: he met suffering with hope, resolve and humor.

• Louie’s perseverance as a competitor in the Berlin Olympics, a bombadier in World War II, a survivor on a life raft in the ocean, and his subsequent capture and torture in a Japanese prison work camp.

• The encouraging mentor role that older brother Pete played in Louie’s life.
• The forgiveness that Louie later offered his brutal captors.
• That those who experience the deepest pain often have the greatest influence and impact in life. (We speak from our pain. And others listen.)

“Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”  – C. S. Lewis

A lot was said in the movie. And a lot was unsaid. I’m thankful Angelina Jolie produced Unbroken because it puts the spotlight on an amazing story of triumph, forgiveness and redemption that needs to be told. Louie Zamperini’s unforgettable story reminds us that truth and forgiveness will eventually triumph over hatred and brutality.

The movie Unbroken may just inspire a new generation towards forgiveness, perseverance, hope and resilience. And there’ll likely be others like me, who will finally pick up the book and read the rest of the story.

Check out the official Unbroken movie trailer here:

Did you see Unbroken or read the book? Are you planning to? Did Louie Zamperini’s story inspire or affect you? Would love to hear your thoughts today.

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