"After 28 Years, Film Creators Discuss the Stirring reveal in their controversial closing scene"
In the post-apocalyptic world of "28 Years Later," the character of Jimmy serves as a complex and profound symbol of Britain's haunted past and the dangers of false idols.
Directed by Danny Boyle, the first film in the trilogy delves into the themes of family, as the main character Spike ventures out from his protected home into a dangerous mainland. Alex Garland, the screenwriter, describes the movie as a commentary on the nature of family, setting the stage for the intricate role Jimmy would later play.
Jimmy, portrayed by Alex Roy, holds significant symbolic and thematic weight, drawing parallels with the once-beloved British TV presenter, Jimmy Savile. The Jimmies, led by Sir Jimmy Crystal, are modelled after Savile, with their gaudy clothing, eccentric behaviour, and disturbing charisma reminiscent of Savile's public persona before his crimes were exposed.
The young boy Jimmy, who is seen at the beginning of the film and later grows into the cult leader, embodies a distorted legacy. His father is portrayed as a Catholic priest, and Jimmy himself subverts religious iconography by wearing an upside-down crucifix, symbolising lost faith and the corruption of inherited values.
The Jimmies' adherence to a warped code of chivalry, evoking medieval knights' ideals based on a twisted interpretation of Christianity, reflects how ideals can be corrupted into justifications for violence and control, mirroring the facade of respectability that protected Savile for decades.
Jimmy represents the corruption of innocence and trust. The original Jimmy as a child at the outbreak is innocent, but over 28 years, that innocence is perverted into a dangerous cult leadership that kills for fun, contrasting survival with wanton cruelty.
The character and his followers illuminate themes of loss, disillusionment, and the perversion of hope in a post-apocalyptic Britain where society stagnates and mutates under the rage virus threat. They symbolise how trauma and history shape new social orders, often twisted by past sins and neglect.
By invoking Jimmy Savile’s legacy, the film critiques not only the apocalypse within its narrative but also the dark underbelly of British pop culture history, showing how public figures revered for decades can harbour horrific secrets that ultimately poison culture and society. In the world of "28 Years Later," Savile's crimes were never revealed, offering a chilling insight into the movie's universe's misremembering of the past.
Director Danny Boyle describes Jimmy as having a significant impact on pop culture, sportswear, and the honours system. The movie ends with an unexpected action sequence, reintroducing evil into what has been a compassionate environment, echoing the real-world revelations about Savile that shook Britain after his death in 2011.
In sum, Jimmy in "28 Years Later" is a haunting emblem of Britain’s haunted past and the dangers of false idols. His character and the Jimmies illustrate how cultural icons can symbolise both lost innocence and deeply entrenched systemic corruption, resonating profoundly within the film’s themes of survival, faith, and societal decay in a dystopian future.
In the realm of entertainment, Gizmodo and Io9 might find interest in the complex symbolism of Jimmy from "28 Years Later," as his character delves into aspects of technology and a dystopian future in movies-and-tv. Danny Boyle's movie not only explores themes of family and societal decay but also critiques the dark underbelly of British pop culture history, drawing parallels with the once-revered figure Jimmy Savile. His corruption of innocence serves as a profound symbol of the dangers of false idols, echoing themes of lost faith, societal decay, and systemic corruption that could be discussed further in the context of technology and entertainment.
