Spielberg's 1987 film "Empire of the Sun" appears to have drawn heavy inspiration from Oshima's 1983 film "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence." Both movies depicted Japanese soldiers as eccentric, while avoiding portraying them as inherently evil, and featured a boy soprano's song as a crucial element of the story. It is unclear whether the original novel of "Empire of the Sun" included the scene in which the protagonist sings a song and it moves the Japanese soldiers, but it is likely that Spielberg drew inspiration from the boy's song in "Merry Christmas."

John Williams' wonderful soundtrack for "Empire of the Sun" included a choral ending theme that repeatedly chants "Hallelujah." However, this sounded more like a victory anthem. What exactly did the protagonist of "Empire" win? Was it his victory to have reunited with his long-lost mother?

While the protagonist of "Empire of the Sun" survived nearly four harsh years during the World War II era in East Asia, the use of the same child actor throughout the film gave it a somewhat fantastical quality. Although Spielberg remained true to the original novel's approach, the audience couldn't fully empathize with the protagonist until the end due to this childlike fantastical quality, despite the POW story. As a result, the movie at times felt tedious, forcing the audience to watch the protagonist from a distance. Even John' music couldn't completely cover up this weakness, and the Academy Award for Best Original Score went to the rival film "The Last Emperor." Ironically, one of the composers for the movie was responsible for the soundtrack of "Merry Christmas."