World War II has been a fertile subject for the global movie industry. The following six films will give you a taste of some of the best silver screen efforts made at depicting this dark chapter in human history.
"City of Life and Death"
"City of Life and Death" |
Few Chinese movies about World War II have achieved the international acclaim City of Life and Death managed to gain. Given a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie depicts the horrors of war, especially a code of honor that allows for the sadistic killing of unarmed civilians and raping of women on a scale rarely seen in human history, from the perspectives of both victims and victimizers.
Atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers in Nanking during 1937 are a well-documented part of World War II and deeply etched into the Chinese psyche. Director Lu Chuan revisited this fraught subject by recreating a city ravaged by unscrupulous invaders through unflinching realism and deep compassion that probably only a local director could feel. To balance its message, this emotionally charged movie also portrays a conscience-stricken Japanese soldier who finds it hard to deal with what his fellow soldiers have done.
Though the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression has been a familiar theme on silver screens across China, wide-spread recognition for City of Life and Death is evidence to Lu Chuan’s unique approach and sensibilities.
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