All artists and audiences have their own positions, especially when it comes to historical issues. Another example of this is Spielberg's Schindler's List. Both the brutality of the German army and the desperation of the Jews were sharply concentrated and magnified. The death that may come at any time further arouses the desire of refugees to survive. "All wars are against humanity." "Schindler's List" successfully expressed this point of view.
But when you go back to the movie Empire of the Sun, it's a very obscure expression of this point. The story also cannot be classified under the theme of "growing up". The words and deeds of Jamie, the little protagonist, are full of the worldly atmosphere of adults, but there are few inherent innocence and purity of children. He is some sort of representative of a "third party" in this war. This is why he often shouted "I surrender" to the Japanese army in panic. More interestingly, he worshipped those soldiers and their planes. In his heart, there are only strong and weak, no justice or evil. He saw the war only as an expedition. Simple kids don't get excited when they see those planes hit. In any case, Jamie is "lucky" enough to maintain his respect for the Japanese soldiers, and he never sees a scene too bloody.
Although the child had a tragic captivity experience, compared to other children, he did not appear surprised or relieved when he returned to his family. His expedition came to an end. The empire of his dreams also came to an end. Watching this scene, I recalled a documentary on the Discovery Channel about a survivor who escaped from the African jungle and said, "When I was picked up by a helicopter, I really felt for the thrilling ride. Some regrets, because I understand that from now on I will face a dull life again..."
In short, Jamie is nothing more than a figure lost in the dream of a great empire. The character is a failure of the film because he is nothing more than the epitome of a speculator. His presence makes the subject more obscure.
The second downside of movies is the ubiquitous labelling. The British are conservative, stubborn and idealistic, the Americans are open and realistic, the Japanese are strong-willed and very brave. But the Chinese are selfish, greedy and vulgar. These stereotypes all come from the prejudice of the colonists. Even if the story unfolds from a child's point of view, these values are still nothing but rotten things that are deeply rooted in Western society.
The third disadvantage is that the movie is so long that it is not shocking enough. Superfluous minutiae make the plot tedious.
However, one thing can be recognized is that Christian Bell, the young actor who plays Jamie, does have an extraordinary talent for acting. Even if the character's performance is age-inappropriate, the gloom in his eyes at the end is truly moving.
View more about Empire of the Sun reviews
