James' Journey to Jerusalem (2003)

I sat down to watch much anything on TV, but flicking across the dial, I found a classic! A young man sets out on his "journey"!!! He tries to be fair & just & of integrity, in his innocence, in ALL of his dealings!!! He shows compassion to those who think themselves his superiors!!! And anyone like him!!! He attempts to be fair to those who mistreat him!!!Despite noting, even questioning, the irrational responses without logic, that his situations demand, unless he is willing to submit!!! For his trouble, he finds himself a victim, even of his pastor & their followers, all claiming affiliation to this God he loves & is inspired by!!! He is honourable in his dealings! Reluctant in his defences! Heavenly in his inherent beauty of heart & mind & soul!!! How much we should all be reminded of the integrity & substance of comment Jesus echoed across 2000 years & beyond, in "The Beatitudes", in his Sermon on the Mount!!! Yet check out the contradictions posed for a genuine & loving, caring & compassionate servant, that Jesus would surely have had in mind as He spoke 60-100 generations prior, of the "downtrodden", the "heartbroken" & marginalised "outcast" "lepers" disrespected in their own integrity & commitment of faith!!! So a young man, a modern day "Abraham" in his faith, ventures on despite misgivings & condemnation & "longsuffering" as was described as one of the 12 "spiritual gifts" of "The Holy Spirit"!!! We should only NOT be surprised by how the hallowed hymns of his surrounding faithful flock in cheery scenarios, are manifest in a young man struggling with his despair yet exhilaration, in his ultimate journey into his beloved Jerusalem!!! Thoughts here of the words of Jesus!!! Along the lines of "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How I have wanted to thrust my arms around you & embrace you!" One man foresaw these things!Thoughts here of the words of Jesus!!! Along the lines of "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How I have wanted to thrust my arms around you & embrace you!" One man foresaw these things! Another man dares to impart such wisdom into those be they friends, in front of his TV set, or enemies, who sought to act as only 'shrewd managers' of cleverness & slyness, without integrity, love, compassion & substance in their hard work or ongoing dealings!!! So we find a TV set mid-film, as scenario for what is portrayed, that Jesus was up against!!! As a young man seeks to extend his TRULY Christian generosity of heart & mind & soul!!! Be it to his "family" or chance encounters or enemies!!! Heartful generosity profoundly played out mid-film, in front of a hard-worked for TV set for him & his friends, in a neighbourhood of "white" justice where a "black" man throwing a double 6 by chance, on dice at backgammon, may be grounds for condemnation & lack of justice by the self-serving, NOT to be questioned!

I have just finished one of the most delightful movies I've ever seen. A young Zulu who comes to Israel from his village to view the Jerusalem he's read about in the Bible all his life, the culmination of a man's vision and belief which becomes complicated as he gets caught up in the harsh realities of life. Yet he remains true to his goal and eventually sees Jerusalem and uses the modern equipment he has acquired in this case a camera to record the city, the city on film to return to Africa with his new knowledge of the world. He is exhilarated by having having finally seen the Jerusalem of his dreams. This picture has to be seen and felt as no words are eloquent enough to capture the essence of this truly remarkable film.

In the allegorical "James' Journey to Jerusalem," a deeply religious young man, filled with idealism and hope, leaves his village in Africa to embark on a pilgrimage to the Holy City. There he hopes to glean some spiritual inspiration before returning home to start life as a pastor. However, things do not quite work out for James the way he envisions them. Immediately upon his arrival in Israel and before he can even make it to the famed city, he is unjustly thrown into jail, then "sold" into a kind of paid slavery to the business man who ponies up his bail. James is forced to live in a kind of community barracks with other young men in his situation and is sent around town to do cleaning, gardening and an assortment of other odd jobs. As James toils at his labors and interacts with both his "superiors" and peers, he learns a great deal about life in a land where the weak are taken advantage of by the strong and where friendly words and acts of seeming kindness are doled out with an air of class-conscious racism and condescension.This is a fascinating film in many ways, for it introduces us to a milieu filled with unfamiliar situations and faces. James is, obviously, a sincere and devout individual whose innocence and naiveté endear us to him, even when it is those very qualities that make it difficult for him to exist and function in a world far more crassly commercial and uncaringly cynical than the one he expects to find. Yet, at the same time, James has a strength of spirit and a resourcefulness that allow him to triumph, even if only temporarily, over the adversities that befall him. However, even the saintly James, who keeps a firm grasp on his principles early on, eventually learns that one sometimes has to violate a moral code or two to get ahead in life. In many ways, this is like a modern "Pilgrim's Progress" or "Young Goodman Brown," with the noble protagonist leaving the safety and familiarity of his home to venture forth into a world filled with evils and temptations - but always with the hope of reaching that famed "City on a Hill" at the end.However, there is one rather disturbing aspect to the film, and that is that, almost without exception, all the Israelis whom James encounters are greedy, grasping exploiters who see James and all of his compatriots as little more than chattel to do their work for them, talking down to and taking advantage of them every chance they get. Even his boss' elderly father, with whom James establishes a certain precarious "friendship," is really just a bitter, angry racist, hardly deserving of James' loyalty and trust. But to be fair, it isn't just the Jewish Israelis - even the black minister of the church that James attends ends up exploiting him. Since the film originates from Israel, it would be a bit difficult to accuse it of being anti-Semitic, and perhaps this film is that country's attempt to come to terms with a decidedly negative aspect of the nation's people and character - equivalent to the many Hollywood films made about racism, discrimination and exploitation in the United States of America.Whatever the motivation, "James' Journey to Jerusalem" is a moving film about xenophobia, the class struggle and the fragility of hopes and dreams. The ironic final image brings that last theme home in a heartbreaking way. For James does finally reach his destination, but not quite in the way he intended.

Viewing the trailer, it seems to be a simple benign tale of how a young man James sent on a pilgrimage with the mission to see Jerusalem. Hm, it's really a black comedy in parable form, laughing at possible vulnerable morality, social foibles, and almost political non-comments on economy, religion, community, people coping with living. Siyabonga Melongisi Shibe is James (our main hero). Arieh Elias is Sallah (the father of Shimi). Salim Dau is Shimi (the man who got James). Together these three lively talented actors, with a host of supporting characters, gave us 87 mins. of a film from Israel, in Hebrew, Zulu and English. Written and directed by Ra'anan Alexandrowicz, this tale is not unique in Israel, but can very well be any city in the world, where money exchange and transactions exist for the advancement of one's social and living status. It feels (at first) rather like Antoine de Saint Exupéry's "The Little Prince," James is discovering truth of things. Gradually it becomes more of an urban reality tale. It's not glamorous Hollywood fable like "Edward Scissorhands." Rather, it's a good-natured almost genuine in its sincere storytelling - James' innocence is as real as it gets. He wanted to be right, walk right, talk right, do the right thing. However, it seems the Lord has other ideas and plans in helping James to fulfill his mission of "Oh, Jerusalem". The dialog is practical, matter of fact, down to earth translations. In fact, the main story narration is in the form of a choir singing out (echoing) the storyline in a gospel song. Are the characters depicted being amoral? Is living such a chore and Shimi and wife and friends lacking in brightness of the heart? We laugh as we've seen and heard such things happening to others (oh no, not to us.) What a meaningful first debut feature. "James' Journey to Jerusalem" is a worthy and entertaining piece, may even rings true in its reflections of social insensitivity - living got to be more reassuring than that. The warmth that James felt towards Sallah, a grumpy and nostalgic (yet whimsical at times) old man, indicated his respect and recognition of a fellow living human being in spite of mutual weaknesses, and the handshake is reciprocal. Sadness and joy, the yin and yang, James cannot appreciate the view of Jerusalem more without what he's been through. Despite the ending situation, I felt James is much wiser and morally strengthened to continue living and abide by his heart. If you find this light, try Lars von Trier's "Dogville," which is substantively loaded with morality play and human foibles, and may even see the film in the light of how God sent his daughter (Nicole Kidman's Grace) to earth and the passion began, continued, and fulfilled. "Dogville" is not for everyone (NFE) for sure. "James' Journey to Jerusalem" aka Massa'ot James Be'eretz Hakodesh (2003), is ready for anyone with a gleeful heart!