Nanjing! Nanjing!

Synopsis

"Nanking! Nanking!" is a 2009 war film directed by Lu Chuan, starring Liu Ye, Gao Yuanyuan, and Fan Wei. Set against the backdrop of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, it portrays the devastation of war on humanity through multiple perspectives. It has a Douban rating of 8.1 and won the Golden Shell Award for Best Film at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.

Overview

"City of Life and Death" is a 2009 Chinese war film directed and written by Lu Chuan. It stars Liu Ye and Gao Yuanyuan, with supporting roles by Fan Wei, Hideo Nakaizumi (Japanese), and Ryu Kohata. The film has a runtime of 132 minutes and holds a Douban rating of 8.1. It won the Golden Shell for Best Film at the 57th San Sebastián International Film Festival. It is the first Chinese film to directly depict the 1937 Nanjing Massacre using black-and-white cinematography.

Set against the backdrop of the Nanjing Massacre, the film portrays the extreme devastation of war on humanity through multiple perspectives, including Chinese soldiers, civilians, foreign missionaries, and Japanese soldiers. Lu Chuan's choice of black-and-white cinematography serves both as a tribute to history and imbues the film with a somber and solemn texture.

Plot

In December 1937, the Japanese army captured Nanjing. After the city fell, Chinese troops largely disintegrated, with some soldiers attempting to disguise themselves as civilians to flee into the International Safety Zone. Nationalist officer Lu Jianxiong (played by Liu Ye) leads a small squad in a final street resistance but is ultimately captured and executed.

Nanjing descends into chaos and terror. The Japanese army launches large-scale massacres and atrocities against civilians. The International Safety Zone established by German businessman John Rabe becomes the last refuge, but Japanese atrocities soon spread into the zone. Teacher Jiang Shuyun (played by Gao Yuanyuan) strives within the safety zone to protect refugees, especially women, from Japanese soldiers.

Fan Wei plays Mr. Tang, an ordinary Nanjing citizen who tries various ways to protect his family. However, in the face of brutal war, individual power proves insignificant. He is ultimately killed by Japanese soldiers. His heartbreaking final words, "My wife is pregnant again," leave a deep impact.

The film also shows another side of the war through the perspective of Japanese soldier Kadokawa (played by Hideo Nakaizumi). Kadokawa is an educated intellectual who is confused and tormented by his comrades' atrocities. Under immense psychological pressure, he ultimately chooses suicide.

Cast

Cultural Impact

"City of Life and Death" is one of the most profound artistic expressions by Chinese filmmakers regarding the Nanjing Massacre. Previous film and television works about the massacre primarily focused on accusation and condemnation, while Lu Chuan's film attempts to examine the tragedy from a deeper human perspective. The film depicts not only the atrocities of the Japanese army but also the resistance and mutual aid among the Chinese, and even the conscience struggles of individual Japanese soldiers.

The film's black-and-white cinematography is exceptionally well-executed. The monochrome imagery not only enhances the historical feel but also lends the film a poetic and sorrowful quality that transcends reality. The ruins of Nanjing, the smoke-filled skies, and the piles of corpses are rendered with an overwhelming sense of heaviness in black and white.

The film sparked widespread social discussion upon its release. Its portrayal of the inner world of Japanese soldiers was controversial. Some viewed it as sympathy for the aggressors, while others believed it demonstrated the director's courage and depth. Regardless, the film prompted more Chinese people, especially the younger generation, to re-examine this period of history.

References

1. Douban Movie: https://movie.douban.com/subject/2299648/
2. Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/南京！南京！
3. Wikipedia: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/南京！南京！