14. Empire of the Sun (1987)
The second in Spielberg's unofficial "criminally underrated" trilogy, Empire of the Sun is the fascinating story of a young British boy in WWII who has to fend for himself after becoming separated from his parents and is captured by Japanese forces invading Shanghai. Based on J.G. Ballard's semi-autobiographical novel, Empire of the Sun is a riveting clash of two of Spielberg's most common filmmaking sentiments: The sense of childlike wonder that pervades films such as Close Encounters and E.T., and a darker, broader historical context he would explore in subsequent films such as Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, and Munich. The film is often accused of its overly simplistic depiction of what were actually very dark and difficult conditions in the Japanese interment camps, but what many people seem to miss is the fact that the film is extremely subjective and is told entirely from Jim Graham's point of view. Thus, the overly simplistic and "glossed over" depiction of war is simply how this young boy sees the world. Showcasing a brilliant performance from a very young Christian Bale, this is one of Spielberg's greatest and most under-appreciated triumphs.