Japan nationalists slam Angelina Jolie's 'Unbroken' as racist

TOKYO, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Angelina Jolie was deemed "racist" by Japan's nationalists over her portrayal of the torture endured by POW Olympian Louis Zamperini in her directing effort Unbroken.

Jolie's film is based in the 2010 novel Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption, which offers the same descriptions of torture depicted by Jolie in the film. The details in the book are based on Zamperini's recount of events.

Hiromichi Moteki, secretary general of the Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact, said the scenes of Zamperini's mistreatment by Japanese officials are "pure fabrication."

"If there is no verification of the things he said, then anyone can make such claims," Moteki said. "This movie has no credibility and is immoral," he told The Telegraph.

Mindy Kotler, director of Asia Policy Point, told The Telegraph that Japan's socialists are attempting to discredit POW testimony in order to discredit "the war crimes trials."

"There is plenty of documentation on the abuse and tortures inflicted upon POWs," she said. "There is also plenty of eyewitness and forensic evidence of Japanese cannibalism of prisoners as well of fellow soldiers."

"It is outrageous and reprehensible to deny what happened to Louis Zamperini," she said, adding that the United States government might have to take certain measures if the discrediting continues.

"Both the San Francisco Peace Treaty, which is predicated on acceptance of the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, and the honor of American veterans need to be defended."

Unbroken stars Jack O'Connell as the Olympic runner who was taken prisoner by Japanese forces during World War II. The film will premiere in the United States on Christmas Day.