Empire of the Sun Directed by Steven Spielberg - review

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Empire of the Sun

                                                        Directed by Steven Spielberg

Japan, a nation of great wealth and prosperity, is frequently referred to as  “the Land of the Rising Sun.” Director, Steven Spielberg, extends this comparison magnificently in the movie Empire of the Sun, based on the novel by J.G. Ballard. The movie begins in the midst of the Second World War, when Japan is just starting to demonstrate its awesome power. This is symbolized by the rising sun which is regularly shown throughout the exposition. In spite of this, it is not until the immensely brave and honourable Japanese soldiers take over the city of Shanghia, that Japan is at the height of its power and the sun is at its highest point in the sky. Soon however, the decline of Japanese power commences and finally disappears completely, as the Japanese kamikaze pilots take off and the sun sets beyond the horizon. Steven Spielberg expresses this through explicit symbolism and unambiguous character development. It is the realization of this reality that allows the protagonist, Jim Graham, to mature and gain an utter respect for the Japanese despite growing up in a society where respect for others is practically non-existent.

As early on as the first scene of the movie, symbolism is utilized to depict the disrespect the Japanese and British have for each other and the Chinese. An excellent example of this was when a Japanese ship of war cruises through Chinese coffins that were let out to sea. Even before this scene, the lack of respect on the behalf of the British towards the Chinese is established when we learn that that the British made an image of their own country in Shanghia. Even Jim in the beginning showed disrespect for his maid when he told her “You have to do what I say.” Nevertheless, as Jim realized how brave and noble the Japanese soldiers were he started to show a great deal of respect for them. This was symbolized by him saluting the Japanese pilots, and singing a song before they departed. Jim also went on his knees twice, to show respect to a Japanese soldier. This symbolism of respect and disrespect was used by Steven Spielberg to show the attitudes Jim was around constantly.

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The most significant symbolism of the movie never came into play until the end of the story, when Jim was trying to revive his Japanese counterpart who was shot by an American. This effort to bring the boy back to life not only showed Jim’s respect for him, but his care. Furthermore, this boy was supposed to be Jim’s enemy, yet they had such reverence for each other that they were able to help and befriend one another. This Japanese boy was symbolic of the younger, happier Jim, before the war was an issue in his life. This fact ...

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