Review of Nanking (2007) by Sylvia Q — 23 Aug 2009

A well-researched documentary depicting a real-life story of how a group of courageous foreigners in Nanjing collaborated to save thousands of Chinese during the siege of Japanese invasion. The story of John Rabe is particularly dramatic and remarkable. He was a compassionate and principled Nazi businessman who decided to stay in Nanjing setting up a safety zone in his mansion for the Chinese refugees. Mistakenly believing that Adolf Hitler was a compassionate leader, John Rabe delivered film rolls, photos and documents evidencing war crimes in Nanjing to him in the hope of curbing further ravage of the city. He was detained by the Nazis, and thereafter the Allied Army when the war ended. It must be really awful to be stranded in such agonizing dilemma with extreme distrust from both parties. A sense of despair must be haunting him throughout all the torturing interrogration and incarcenations: is life worth living when all your good principles and moral values turn around against you? From a rich businessman, he seemed to plunge from heaven to hell where he and his family lived in poverty and starvation. But this is also a classic story of "what goes around comes around". The Nanjing survivors never forgot John Rabe and they reciprocated with a monthly provision of financial support. His former residence in Nanjing houses a museum that commemorates the heroic efforts of John Rabe and others. John Rabe should be resting in real peace, having in mind at his final moment that his faith in love, humanity and self-sacrifice have triumphed over all evils.

On a personal note, I will try not to read anything about the Nanjing Massacre in the near future. It is simply too painful and depressing...