If he is not one of the most enigmatic character of modern film-making then film critics have failed greatly in their positions. They may have also been focusing too much on those what-the-hell's-so-brilliant-with-these "Hilary Swank" movies LOL. For "Jamie" then later known as "Jim Graham" in one of Spielberg's most important films is a figure I have never encountered in a film character. Christopher Bailey as a young actor of course deserves so much credit for his portrayal of the World War 2 fictional hero. Not only is genius written all over his performance but his morphing into young Jamie deserves nothing less than worship given it was his acting debut!
"Empire of the Sun" is the stage where we witness Jim's uncanny energy, shining intelligence, and steely determination. As a sheltered child all his life, being thrown alone into an internment camp with adults he had never met before and children who could cling to their parents when they wanted to would have been a harrowing experience for any individual of any age. Yes he goes through this shocked phase in the earlier parts of the movie but he manages to pick himself up, fight for his rights, work for his daily bread and parlay himself into a fixture in the Japanese-controlled community. How many times did we see glances of admiration and words of exclamatory praise from fellow characters who lived with him throughout the film?
Spielberg's talent for exaggeration created a ring of legend around Jim too. How many times can one be so lucky in life especially the kind of luck which involves life and death situations? Twice? Thrice? Jim's outrageous streak included his most amazing expedition into the Japanese camp to place pheasant traps in strategic areas within the area. How chilling can the movie get when through the barbed wires of the encampment, under the murky waters and right beneath the Jap commander's menacing, shiny rifle, the young lad goes through unscathed with just mud all over his body to ruin the occasion LOL? Or am I just overrating the young character's skill and undermining the possibility that it is the individual who creates his own luck and not the circumstances around him?
We also understand the young boy's insanity, flamboyance and daredevilish ways for in a war which becomes a test for human character in the average adult human being, all sorts of defense mechanisms develop no matter how twisted. Still his inner strength is legendary. Singing a Welsh hymn in Japanese while facing several Japanese soldiers in a kamikaze ritual was one outstanding scene in the film particularly because it brought tears not only to Sergeant Nagata (who almost killed Jim in his pheasant trap snaring circus act) but also mine. Friendship and companionship are human qualities that transcend international boundaries and the Japanese soldier's tears touched me greatly for it clearly symbolizes that no war can break human bonds especially if they are so strong. Another symbolic event in the story was Jim dancing and jumping energetically when parachutes of food supplies and medicine from the American troops came down from the heavens as if Christmas came early and the ecstasy of finally having his hands on nourishment with any semblance of taste became too much for a young boy who thought potatoes was the end-all and be-all of the camp's menu! Does the adage,"when it rains, it pours" lend justice to this scene. Barely so, I believe....
After watching the film, take my advice. PLEASE DO NOT FOLLOW ME. I waited a long time before I sat and gave time for myself to view this Spielberg classic. I only ever watched it seriously and with my usual one-tracked concentration 20 years after its release! If you find a movie and you smell classic or legend written all over it, please watch it. Haha. Viewing a brilliant film has many benefits one of which is you are able to share with friends the grandeur of a classic without sounding obsolete or out-of-date. As a consequence, you increase your chances of sounding believable too hahaha. But I have tried to remain as faithful to the basic essences I have extracted out of the movie eventhough this review is definitely obsolete so please do believe what I have to say hehehe. But what the heck! What are storage devices such as VHS tapes, compact discs and hard drives for if you can't view a movie over and over again, right? Watch it all over again so you can prove me correct or wrong in this entry, right? Hehehe...
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