Shanghai forward; America back

We watched “Empire of the Sun” over the weekend, which I last saw in a movie theater 25 years ago. It centers on an English boy from Shanghai’s British community interned as prisoner during the war. Shanghai of 1987 was able to stand in for Shanghai of 1941 since there had been little change in the 46 years between. In the 25 years since, it has become again a modern city, or so I’m told.

On the other hand, whenever Americans entered the story, there was a swagger to them that the actors and director had no trouble portraying. Everyone (in 1987) knew that America was great