Review of City of Life and Death (2009) by Leslie B — 13 Jul 2011
I read reviews comparing this film to Schindler's List. I would say it comes closer to Saving Private Ryan in that it's a more raw, visceral film with less emphasis on violence from a psychological perspective.
Some criticism has been made about the lack of plot but this film is about the terror and insanity of a military possessed by evil, portrayed as chaos rather than a linear story line. There was some balance given so as not to not frame all Japanese soldiers as evil monsters but the focus of the film appears to be the cruelty and insanity of war, particularly when the military directives were rape, murder, and torture of an entire civilian population.
Choosing to make the film in black and white gave it a docudrama effect. This is a hard-hitting film, not easy to watch.
This review of City of Life and Death (2009) was written by Leslie B on 13 Jul 2011.
City of Life and Death has generally received very positive reviews.
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