Reviewed by Daniel
Rutledge
My pick for Chinese film of the year, City of Life and Death is a movie you won’t forget. It’s the harrowing true story of the Nanking Massacre, one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century.
Shot in black and white, often with handheld cameras, the masterful cinematography is matter-of-fact documentary style. Coupled with the outstanding performances, this gives the film a visceral emotional punch, putting the audience in the story with the characters.
The Nanking Massacre is a very touchy subject which causes a great deal of ill-feeling between China and Japan to this day. Following the fall of the then capital of China to Japan in 1937, somewhere between 150,000 and 300,000 Chinese were killed, many of them women and children. In addition, tens of thousands of rapes were carried out – another common term for the Nanking Massacre is ‘the Rape of Nanking’.
The event is often used to drum up anti-Japanese sentiment, however City of Life and Death is non-biased and, controversially in its homeland, shows the Japanese soldiers as humans rather than evil monsters. Unlike some older, less mature, much more melodramatic Chinese films on the subject of World War II, the main Japanese roles are played by genuine Japanese actors speaking Japanese. These characters represent the varied personalities of the invading soldiers - some thrive on the brutality they carry out, others are horrified by it. This realistic and balanced approach greatly benefits the film.
John Rabe was a German businessman and leader of the Nazi party based in Nanking during the invasion. He established the International Safety Zone which saved the lives of around 200,000 Chinese and is sometimes referred to as ‘the Buddha of Nanking’ or ‘the Oskar Schindler of China’.
City of Life and Death does not focus on this fascinating character but rather includes him as just one of a handful of amazing personal stories.
The other main characters – some fictional, most real – include: Mr Tang, Rabe’s assistant who desperately tries to keep his family safe; Kadokawa, a quiet and romantic Japanese soldier dismayed at the viciousness happening around him; Ida, Kadokawa’s cruel platoon leader; General Lu, leader of a severely outgunned Chinese resistance force and Miss Jiang, a well-off young teacher helping to save lives in the Safety Zone.
The movie keeps its focus tightly on these characters and their journeys, rather than portraying at large the entire massacre. Collectively these personal stories form a great insight into the event that is grittily realistic yet still movingly poetic.
City of Life and Death is an incredible examination of the hell that human beings create during war. It is at times difficult to watch, but comes with my highest recommendation.
Five stars.
City of Life and
Death
:: Director: Lu Chuan
:: Starring: Gao Yuanyuan, Hideo Nakaizumi,
Liu Ye, Fan Wei
:: Running Time: 131 mins
:: Rating: R18 - Graphic Violence
& Sexual Violence
:: Release Date: November 26,
2009
:: Trailer: Click here
:: Session times: Click here
