Review of City of Life and Death (2009) by Drago? C — 31 Aug 2015

A painful, gruelling movie that you cannot take your eyes off. Equal parts Saving Private Ryan and Schindlers List, City of Life and Death swithces from national drama to personal drama in the blink of an eye. With sweeping vistas of destruction and painful close-ups it manages what no war movie that i've ever seen before do: it effectively channels and transfers the pain, horror and powerlessness of the occupied city in not just a visual but a visceral way. The handheld, documentary style shooting adds a lot to that as does the time devoted to developing the focus characters from across the spectrum of the conflict: victims, perpetrators and resistance.

Horrible but fascinating, a must-see.