Universal Pictures are releasing a special edition of the acclaimed film 'Unbroken' aimed at the Christian market, entitled 'Legacy of Faith'.
The film about WWII hero Louie Zamperini, directed by Angelina Jolie, was criticised by some for under-playing Zamperini's Christian faith.
It depicts 'the unbelievable true story' of Zamperini, who survived a plane crash, spent 47 days on a life raft on the Pacific Ocean, and was tortured at the hands of the Japanese in a prisoner of war camp. After the war Zamperini became a Christian, forgave his captors and became an inspirational speaker.
In Laura Hillenbrand's biography, on which the film is based, Zamperini's conversion and faith play a central role.
Having been deeply traumatised by his experiences, Zamperini joined his wife at a Billy Graham evangelistic crusade in 1949 where he gave his life to Christ. It was through his faith that he was able to forgive and share the gospel with his captors.
Zamperini's son Luke told the Hollywood Reporter: "I loved the movie. It was beautiful and brutal at the same time. Angie got all the scenes right. But the biggest criticism we got was from people in the faith-based community who read the book and said, 'Well, it left out the whole Billy Graham scene.'"
At the time of the film's release, Jolie defended the decision to make it less specifically Christian, saying: "We made it universal, not specific to one faith, and that was something that was agreed upon with Louie." She added that the hero "wanted the message to reach everyone. He said to make faith and forgiveness universal."
Matthew Faraci of Universal Home Entertainment's faith outreach said in a statement: "Louie Zamperini's story has been an inspiration to tens of millions of people of faith, and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is responding to this outpouring of support by creating a special bonus disc that celebrates his life and his testimony."
The additional disc includes 90 minutes of behind-the-scenes stories, including the story of how Zamperini came to faith, as well as documentary footage of Louie Zamperini and Billy Graham together.
The 'Legacy of Faith' edition will only be available in Christian outlets.
