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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