
In the wild, birds often are seen to represent freedom, so the Bird’s nickname emphasizes the freedom he has in comparison to the POWs, specifically with regards to his unrestricted freedom to torture the prisoners without consequence. The Unbroken quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Bird.
Who is the bird in the unbroken?
The Unbroken quotes below are all either spoken by Mutsuhiro “The Bird” Watanabe or refer to Mutsuhiro “The Bird” Watanabe. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ).
What did the bird do to Louie in unbroken?
That was the moment the men realized they were dealing with a psychopath and when the Bird started his greatest hobby—terrorizing Louie. The Bird in Unbroken referred to Louie as “number one prisoner” and beat him daily. Louie tried to blend in with other prisoners and hide, but the Bird hunted him like prey and always found him.
Where does Mutsuhiro “The Bird” Watanabe appear in unbroken?
The timeline below shows where the character Mutsuhiro “The Bird” Watanabe appears in Unbroken. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. ...the Omori camp, Louie encounters a handsome prison guard with large, brutish hands named Mutsuhiro Watanabe.
Who is the bird to the POWs?
Mutsuhiro Watanabe, known as the Bird to POWs, was a sadistic Japanese leader at two different POW camps, Omori and Naoetsu. He was born into a wealthy family but experienced humiliation when he was not made a military officer.
What was the bird's name in Unbroken?
What was the role of the bird in Unbroken?
What did the bird do to Louie?
What did the bird do when Louie looked in his eyes?
What happened to Louis in The Bird in Unbroken?
Who was the number one prisoner in Unbroken?
Who wrote the short form summary of Unbroken?
See 2 more

What is the bird's subject?
The Bird subjects prisoners to extreme physical and emotional abuse. On different occasions, appears to take sexual pleasure in causing pain. He devotes particular attention to Louie, whom he beats on many occasions.
Did Louie the Bird die?
When interviewed, he often blames his actions on the war and shows limited willingness to take personal responsibility for his actions. Since The Bird was twice reported dead by Japanese officials, Louie believed for decades that he was dead. Television producers are able to interview him in 1997.
What is the bird in the book?
One of the worst Japanese war criminals, Mutsuhiro “The Bird” Watanabe is the novel’s epitome of evil, representing humankind’s utmost capacity for violence. In the wild, birds often are seen to represent freedom, so the Bird’s nickname emphasizes the freedom he has in comparison to the POWs, specifically with regards to his unrestricted freedom to torture the prisoners without consequence.
What does the bird claim when the men return to camp?
When the men return to camp, the Bird claims that the officers must have been involved in the theft. As punishment, he makes... (full context)
What does Louie learn about the bird?
At the camp, Louie learns that the Bird had killed himself. All Louie feels is compassion and forgiveness for the man whose life... (full context)
What does Louie remember when he sees the bird?
Louie would remember that moment when he saw the Bird as the darkest of his life. But the Bird is overjoyed to see him, thinking... (full context)
Where does the bird hear his name on the radio?
In the Japanese metropolis of Kofu, the Bird hears on the radio his name on a list of war criminals. He decides to... (full context)
Does Louie know about the bird's death?
Living in Hollywood, Louie does not know about the announcement of the Bird ’s death. Drinking heavily and consumed by a desire to kill the Bird, Louie is unable... (full context)
What did Louie believe about the bird?
The Bird had taken his dignity and left him feeling humiliated, ashamed, and powerless, and Louie believed that only the Bird could restore him, by suffering and dying in the grip of his hands. A once singularly hopeful man now believed that his only hope lay in murder. Chapter 39 Quotes.
What does Louie see in Chapter 39?
Chapter 39 Quotes. In Sugamo Prison, as he was told of Watanabe’s fate, all Louie saw was a lost person, a life now beyond redemption. He felt something that he had never felt for his captor before. With a shiver of amazement, he realized that it was compassion. At that moment, something shifted sweetly inside him.
What is the antagonist in the novel?
The novel’s antagonist and the epitome of evil, Watanabe is the cruel and psychopathic prison guard who singles out Louie for emotional and physical torture. Driven by a desire to feel powerful, Watanabe derives sexual pleasure and self-worth by using torture to dehumanize the prisoners. Watanabe is also vain and delusional, ...
What chapter does Watanabe see his mother?
Chapter 38 : A Beckoning Whistle. Two years after the Japanese government announced that he was dead, Watanabe sees his mother again. The last time they spoke was two years ago when he... (full context) Epilogue. After the Japanese announced his death, Watanabe spent several years working as a farm hand.
Who refuses to meet Louie?
At Louie’s request, Mihailovich tries setting up a meeting between him and the Watanabe during the Olympic Games, but the Bird refuses. Unable to offer his captor forgiveness, Louie... (full context)
What does Louie tell Watanabe when he meets the other prisoners?
When Louie meets the other prisoners, they tell him not to call Watanabe by his real name. If he hears the prisoners using his name, he will beat... (full context)
Who is the main antagonist in The Bird?
Nicknamed “The Bird,” Mutsuhiro Watanabe was born into a very wealthy Japanese family. He and his five siblings got everything they wanted and spent their childhood being waited on by servants.
What was Angelina Jolie's movie Unbroken about?
The film, which portrayed the trials suffered by the former Olympian Louis Zamperini in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, was accused of being racist and of over-exaggerating the brutality of the Japanese prison.
Why was Wade punched in the face?
Wade himself was punched in the face repeatedly by the sadistic guard for a minor infraction of camp rules. Mutsuhiro Watanabe also used a four-foot kendo sword like a baseball bat and bashed Wade’s skull with 40 repeated blows. Watanabe’s punishments were especially cruel because they were psychological and emotional, not just physical.
What was the name of the camp where unruly POWs were sent to have the fight beaten out of?
It took no time at all for Watanabe’s vicious reputation to spread throughout the entire country. Omori quickly became known as the “punishment camp,” where unruly POWs from other camps were sent to have the fight beaten out of them.
Who was the man who suffered in Omori?
One of the men who suffered in Omori alongside Zamperini was British solider Tom Henling Wade, who in a 2014 interview recalled how Watanabe “took pride in his sadism and would become so carried away with his attacks that saliva would bubble around his mouth.”.
Why was Watanabe's punishment so cruel?
Watanabe’s punishments were especially cruel because they were psychological and emotional, not just physical. In addition to horrendous beatings, he’d destroy photographs of POW’s family members and force them to watch as he burned their letters from home, often the only personal belongings these tortured men had.
Who plays Zamperini in Unbroken?
According to the film's stars, this was easily one of the hardest scenes in the film to shoot, albeit for very different reasons. While speaking to Yahoo!, O'Connell revealed that the working conditions on that day were incredibly brutal - shooting during the hot season in Australia - and that he was so uncomfortable underneath the wooden plank that he actually blacked out. When combined with the fact that O'Connell lost a great deal of weight to play Zamperini, and that he decided to go without a stuntman through production, it's not hard to see how this wound up happening.
Did O'Connell black out?
While speaking to Yahoo!, O'Connell revealed that the working conditions on that day were incredibly brutal - shooting during the hot season in Australia - and that he was so uncomfortable underneath the wooden plank that he actually blacked out.
Was Angelina Jolie's Unbroken a brutal movie?
By all accounts, Angelina Jolie's Unbroken is a rather brutal piece of cinema - which isn't exactly too surprising given the incredible challenges that faced World War II hero Louis Zamperini during his time in a Japanese prison camp. Given the harshness of the film, it shouldn't be surprising that there was an emotional toll behind the making of the movie as well, but what you may not know is that one scene in particular was so hard to film that it actually resulted in star Jack O'Connell passing out and his co-star Takamasa Ishihara (a.k.a. Miyavi) vomiting.
What was the bird's name in Unbroken?
Watanabe, or “the Bird” in Unbroken was from an affluent, privileged family. He studied French literature at university and moved to Tokyo to work in a newsroom after graduating in 1942. When Japan went to war, he quit his job and enlisted. Watanabe ’s sights were set on becoming an officer, like his brother, and felt his privilege and education made him a certain candidate. But he was passed over for promotions and told he would never move beyond corporal. That decision would be the catalyst for the suffering of hundreds of men in the years to come.
What was the role of the bird in Unbroken?
What was The Bird’s role in the story? The Bird in Unbroken, whose real name was Mutsuhiro Watanabe, was a corporal in charge of discipline at the POW camp where Louis Zamperini was interned. The Bird in Unbroken was known to be ruthless and violent, and he especially targeted Louis.
What did the bird do to Louie?
The Bird’s interest in Louie started from the moment he saw him. That first day, Louie and the other Ofuna prisoners were told to stand outside the front gates of Omori. The Bird lounged against the gates, for several minutes, casually eyeing the prisoners without speaking. Then, he was suddenly in their faces, screaming and demanding their names.
What did the bird do when Louie looked in his eyes?
When Louie looked in his eyes, he saw madness and looked away. The Bird punched him in the head and demanded that Louie look him in the eye. When Louie did, the Bird punched him again and said not to look him in the eye. That was the moment the men realized they were dealing with a psychopath and when the Bird started his greatest hobby—terrorizing Louie.
What happened to Louis in The Bird in Unbroken?
The Bird in Unbroken played a huge role in Louis’s life, even after he was liberated from the POW camp. The Bird in Unbroken caused Louis severe trauma that he dealt with for most of his life. He eventually chose to forgive The Bird.
Who was the number one prisoner in Unbroken?
That was the moment the men realized they were dealing with a psychopath and when the Bird started his greatest hobby—terrorizing Louie. The Bird in Unbroken referred to Louie as “number one prisoner” and beat him daily.
Who wrote the short form summary of Unbroken?
This article is an excerpt from the Shortform summary of "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand. Shortform has the world's best summaries of books you should be reading.
