Imagine being stranded on a boat for 47 days and then being imprisoned in a Japanese war camp for years afterwards during the Second World War. While many of us can only imagine the atrocities of the World War II, which we’ve only heard about through stories and history class, veteran Louis Zamperini lived it.  He went through the horrors of war camp and being stranded at sea first hand.

Before the war, Zamperini was a famous Olympian who participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany right before he enlisted for the war. Bullied as a child for not knowing English as an Italian immigrant, Zamperini turned to smoking and alcohol to escape from everything. To help Louis’s self-esteem and to help him avoid drugs and alcohol, his older brother Pete encouraged him to join the school’s track team, which started his future of becoming an Olympian track star.

Unbroken, directed by Angelina Jolie and starring Jack O’Connell, accurately depicts Louis Zamperini as a strong-willed, confident man who never gave up, no matter what. Without his compassion, steadfastness, and strength, Louis would not have survived the cruel Japanese war camps or being at sea and losing his friends during the crash, a horrifying experience which would have broken anyone, but not Louis.

The movie is extremely inspirational and motivational. It shows that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. The emotional strain Louis Zamperini had to endure was harsh and almost impossible to withstand, but he got through it, inspiring the audience to believe that anyone can endure physical and mental obstacles and run past them, winning the race. Zamperini is a role model and a reminder to all of us that anything is possible. His story of being unbroken has touched millions worldwide and encourages others to become who they want to be