When watanabe was transferred to naoetsu, the most hellish pow camp in japan, louis zamperini was eventually transferred there too as punishment for not doing the radio tokyo propaganda broadcast. Unbroken louis zamperini story the bird then and later this image depicts mutsuhiro matsuhiro watanabe. Meet the real mutsuhiro watanabe, aka the bird, and louies wife cynthia. Some of his early antics included jumping from the caboose of a train when his family was on their way to california. Weinsteins memoir, barbed wire surgeon, published in 1948. Louis zamperini died at the age of 96 on july 2, 2014. Louis zamperini, an olympic distance runner and world war ii veteran who survived 47 days on a raft in the pacific after his bomber crashed, then endured two years in japanese prison camps, has died. Recounts of watanabes abusive behavior are told in laura hillenbrands book about zamperini titled unbroken. In unbroken, a former pow seeks spiritual redemption. True story of louis zamperini and mutsuhiro watanabe. Louies zamperini, upon returning to civilian life after the war, suffered severe ptsd from the torture he received in the pow camp and from mutsuhiro watanabe.
Born in 1917, louie zamperini was the child of italian immigrants. One of his prisoners was american track star and olympian louis zamperini, who tells his story in the book unbroken. Chapters 15 introduce an average boy who would become a remarkable man. What stands out about zamperini s story is that it was only through faith in jesus that enabled him to forgive his enemies. True story of louis zamperini and mutsuhiro watanabe the unbroken true story reveals that, like in the movie, the real louis zamperini had a knack for getting into trouble when he was growing up. A world war ii story of survival, resilience, and redemption and the hit movie unbroken those familiar with either the movie or the book will recall that after his days as a troubled youth louis took up running and became a star. Love has replaced hate a letter by a surviving world war ii prisoner of war of the japanese, louis zamperini, to mutsuhiro watanabe, one of the worst guards in any pow camp, who had a particular vendetta against him. This cbs sports documentary on louis zamperini features the rare mutsuhiro watanabe. He was all set for the 1940 olympics when world war ii broke out. Zamperini s hellish experiences came at the hands of mutsuhiro watanabe, a sadistic man who mercilessly and systematically beat, starved and degraded pows. Hollywood may 27, 2019 did louis really start running track to avoid getting into trouble. His wife, cynthia applewhite, convinced him to attend a revival meeting by the evangeli.
Watanabe refused to meet with zamperini as part of the piece. Oct 7, 2015 mutsuhiro watanabe was a japanese prison guard. The novels antagonist and the epitome of evil, watanabe is the cruel and psychopathic prison guard who singles out louie for emotional and physical torture. Mutsuhiro watanabe figured prominently in these dark visions. Mutsuhiro watanabe, the twisted wwii guard who tortured an. Louis zamperini peers over the hatch nose of his aircraft in 1943. Unbroken sequel explores how louis zamperini came back. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. At the center of controversy are the sequences in unbroken of zamperini s beatings at the hands of an imperial officer named mutsuhiro watanabe played by japanese pop star miyavi. Once he made zamperini hold a heavy wooden log over his head for over 37 minutes, at the end of which watanabe punched him in the stomach. Louis zamperini was a world war ii prisoner of war and an olympic athlete who became an inspirational figure and writer. Later that year, a crash involving a b24 bomber similar to this one would land the former olympian in a japanese prison camp.
According to hillenbrands book, watanabe had studied french, in which he was fluent, and had interest in the french school of nihilist philosophy. British victim of matsuhiro watanabe reveals how he. Louis zamperini, as told in laura hillenbrands 2010 book unbroken. Zamperini s extraordinary ordeal and his postwar struggles with alcoholism before he was able to absolve his principal tormentor, the sadistic prison commandant mutsuhiro watanabe. Unbroken director angelina jolie is photographed with louis zamperini, the subject of the film, before his death in july 2014. Zamperini was a legend to the villagers of ofuna, japan, and watanabe felt that zamperini challenged his authority for that reason. One of his prisoners was american track star and olympian louis zamperini.
The character of louise zamperini in unbroken from. Zamperini credited a billy graham crusade with eliminating the hate that threatened to destroy him. Zamperini took up running in high school and qualified for the us in the 5,000 m race for the 1936 berlin olympics. A world war ii story of survival, resilience, and redemption, follows the story of olympic athlete louis zamperini and the torturous treatment he received at the hands of his japanese captors while he was held as a prisoner of war. Unbroken louis zamperini story the bird then and later.
The story of louis zamperini, as told by hillenbrand, is as moving and poignant a. From delinquent to olympian to prisoner of war, zamperini s remarkable story offers inspiration in many different forms. Accusations about watanabe s abusive behavior are given in laura hillenbrands book about american. However, in 1952, the united states granted amnesty to japanese war criminals, after which he emerged to become a businessman. If anything is going to shatter me, louie thought, this is it. Louis zamperini, subject of the bestselling book and hit movie, unbroken, survived years of torture in a japanese prison camp during world war ii, but faced an even greater threat when he got home. Hedlund, domhnall gleeson, miyavi based on the book unbroken by laura hillenbrand. The story of louis zamperini captured the attention of americans in the 1940s and again in recent years thanks to the biography by laura hillenbrand unbroken. Even when the war department assigned louis zamperini an. Unbroken, the 2010 book by seabiscuit author laura hillenbrand, might have been called the passion of louie zamperini. Laura hillenbrand followed her runaway bestseller seabiscuit with this pageturner about the life of world war ii bombardier louis zamperini. Louis silvie zamperini january 26, 1917 july 2, 2014 was an american world war ii veteran, a christian evangelist and an olympic distance runner, best known for being a japanese prisoner of war survivor. Driven by a desire to feel powerful, watanabe derives sexual pleasure and selfworth by using torture to dehumanize the prisoners. For the purposes of this summary, we dont need to describe too much the 200 times zamperini is punched in the face or the fact that he was forced to clean a pigsty with his.
Zamperini was an olympic runner before the war, so was wellknown and famous. Unbroken causes outrage in japan as rightwing ultra. The character of mutsuhiro the bird watanabe in unbroken. Wikimedia commonsjapanese prison guard mutsuhiro watanabe and louis zamperini.
Zamperini credited a billy graham crusade with eliminating the. Did sergeant mutsuhiro watanabe and louis zamperini ever. Unbroken, the 2010 book by seabiscuit author laura hillenbrand, might. Veteran and olympic athlete louis zamperini seeks to overcome loss, guilt and dark visions of the past in the sequel to unbroken. Watanabe was known as the bird, and had gone into hiding during the american occupation of japan. Book summary unbroken covers five primary periods in the life of louis louie zamperini. Tom henling wade a brit whom zamp first met at the omori prison camp provides some background about mutsuhiro watanabe. Mediaite has uncovered a revealing 1998 interview on 60. At his lowest, a battered zamperini found himself forced to clean a pig pen with his bare hands. The account of zamperini s reluctant encounter with evangelist billy graham,is touching and instructive, for it proved to be the event that allowed louie to finally come to peace with his hatred of the worst of the japanese guards, mutsuhiro watanabe, the bird, louie was finally free of the haunting nightmares and his need to seek revenge. In 1941, he was commissioned into the united states army air forces as a. In her longawaited new book, laura hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid.
Mutsuhiro watanabe nicknamed the bird by his prisoners was an imperial japanese army. Mutsuhiro watanabe, alias the bird, was one the most aggressively hunted war criminals in. Synopsis louis zamperini was born in january 1917, in olean, new york. A world war ii story of survival, resilience, and redemption 2010. The film tells the story of louie zamperini, who spent 47 days at sea before. The book, which was written after extensive interviews with wade, details how zamperini, who only died earlier this year, survived 47 days on a raft in the pacific and then watanabe s brutality.
All the while, he is tormented by mutsuhiro watanabe, nicknamed the bird, no. Laura hillenbrand tells the story of louis zamperini in unbroken wsj in basic training, prewwii helmet, 1941 louis zamperini unbroken is a story of unbelievable grit and courage. However, in 1952, the united states granted amnesty to japanese war criminals, after which he. How author laura hillenbrand and her subject, louis zamperini, who have never met because of her illness, shared their suffering to produce a classic about. Angelina jolies new world war ii movie, based on laura hillenbrands bestselling book, unbroken. Adapted from laura hillenbrands book of the same name and directed by angelina jolie.
Mutsuhiro watanabe was so deranged as a prison guard that general douglas macarthur named him as one of the most wanted war criminals in japan. Japanese corporal mutsuhiro watanabe, nicknamed the bird by the pows, took particular glee in torturing the runner. Angelina jolie s blockbuster unbroken incited some outrage in japan after its release in 2014. Louis zamperini was a world war ii prisoner of war, an olympic athlete and an inspirational figure and writer.
Hes the guy who almost breaks the fourminute mile, gets swept up by world war ii, shot down in the pacific, punches sharks in the face, survives numerous pow camps, lives, goes home, marries, and finds god. A world war ii story of survival, resilience, and redemption by laura hillenbrand, later adapted into a feature film directed by angelina jolie. This saga is chronicled in hillenbrands book, unbroken. Angelina jolies unbroken is racist, say japanese nationalists film. Zamperini competed in the 1936 berlin olympics and was set to compete again in the 1940 games in tokyo, which were canceled when world war ii broke out. Zamperini forgave the men who held him prisoner, including the sadistic japanese corporal, mutsuhiro watanabe, who was known as the bird. But its just as much a pageturner, and its hero, louie zamperini, is just as. Us occupation authorities classified watanabe as a war criminal 23rd on list of 40 most wanted for his mistreatment of pows, but he managed to evade arrest and was never tried in court.
Louis zamperini met corporal mutsuhiro watanabe aka the bird at the omori pow camp located on an island in tokyo bay. Zamperini reported that watanabe beat his prisoners often, causing them serious. The unbroken true story reveals that, like in the movie, the real louis zamperini had a knack for getting into trouble when he was growing up. Mutsuhiro watanabe, a pathologically brutal sadist called the bird by camp. Watanabe took a special interest in american track star louis zamperini.
Unbroken pdf summary linda hilldenbrand 12min blog. An american legend, which was a finalist for the national book critics circle award, won the book sense book of the year award and the william hill sports book of the year award, landed on more than fifteen bestof. According to hillenbrands book, however, the circumstances that led to zamperinis track. Mutsuhiro watanabe is a man of many names and personalities. Why louis zamperini should be the hero of every christian as he was for angelina jolie louis silvie zamperini earned the moniker torrance tornado for his track and field records in torrance, california. Louis zamperini, letter to mutsuhiro watanabe, may 19, 1997. Louis zamperini was a world war ii veteran and olympic distance runner. Unbroken is the most powerful book i have read in a long time, and warrants the attention of every american. Louies youth and young adulthood in torrance, california. Why louis zamperini should be the hero of every christian. Path to redemption, a followup to the 2014 movie based on louis zamperini s life story. Raised in california, zamperini joined the track team in high school. Russell allen phillips phil pilot of zamperini s crew who crashed the plane on the ocean.