Review of City of Life and Death (2009) by Walter M — 14 May 2011

Let's be honest. Sometimes, we have to stare into the abyss to confront the evil there is in the world without any sentimentality to comfort us. "City of Life and Death" is a prime example in its stunning exploration of the horrors of the Japanese occupation of Nanking in 1937-1938, filmed in black and white with a masterful use of close-ups. This starts with the Japanese army taking the 1000-year old city after a three day fight with the Chinese troops fleeing in their wake.(Any Chinese soldiers captured are shot.) Chinese partisans put up a fight but they are eventually overwhelmed. That leaves the only protection for refugeees in the hands of Nazi industrialist John Rabe(John Paisley) and his ragtag volunteers.

And then what are we to make of Sgt. Kadokawa(Hideo Nakaizumi), a sympathetic Japanese soldier? While it is probable that not all Japanese soldiers were monsters(I think the operative phrase is: not what I signed up for), this is still an odd point of view for the audience to take. That's not to mention the character possessing a naivete on the subject of human relations that might strain credibility if it did not also mirror the protectors' belief that they can continue unharmed by the Japanese soldiers just outside their gates in a time and place that will call for sacrifices.