Angelina Jolie-directed ‘Unbroken’ gets Olympic preview [Video]

As an actress, Angelina Jolie has played her share of butt-kicking, larger-than-life action heroines. Now her first studio film as a director, “Unbroken,” finds her exploring heroism of a different sort in the story of 1936 Olympian Louis Zamperini, who survived on a raft with two other crewmen for 47 days after being shot down during World War II, only to be captured by the Japanese and held for two years as prisoners of war.

Universal Pictures debuted a three-minute video, which you can watch above, previewing the film during the Sochi Olympics on Sunday.

Narrated by Tom Brokaw, the video combines glimpses of the film, which stars Jack O’Connell as Zamperini; archival footage from the ’36 Games in Berlin; and interview footage with Zamperini himself, who is now 97.

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In the video, Zamperini recalls how as a young man he was always getting into trouble and being chased by cops, to the point where he was encouraged to take up running as a discipline.

At the Berlin Olympics, Zamperini finished eighth in the 5,000 meters, and his final lap of 56 seconds caught the attention of Adolf Hitler, whom he personally met. Six years later, he was downed over the Pacific. During his time as a POW, he endured frequent beatings and near-starvation.

Although he finished eighth in the 5,000 meters, his final lap of 56 seconds caught Adolf Hitler’s attention - See more at: https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/12/wwii-louis-zamperino-congressional-gold-medal.html#sthash.FdlaG6JC.dpuf
Although he finished eighth in the 5,000 meters, his final lap of 56 seconds caught Adolf Hitler’s attention - See more at: https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/12/wwii-louis-zamperino-congressional-gold-medal.html#sthash.FdlaG6JC.dpuf
“Unbroken” is based on the bestselling book by Laura Hillenbrand (“Seabiscuit”), with a screenplay by William Nicholson, Richard LaGravenese, and Joel Coen and Ethan Coen.

The film marks Jolie’s second picture as a director, after the the 2011 independent drama “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” a love story set against the backdrop of the Bosnian war.

“Unbroken” is scheduled for release on Christmas Day.

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