- Messages
- 945
- Reaction score
- 0
- Trophy Points
- 26
City Of Life and Death (2009) or Nanking Nanking is the best war movie I have seen for a very long time. It is powerful, moving and shocking.
The choice of Black and White stock is a good one as it adds to the authenticity of the piece. It is also beautifully filmed by Yu Cao.
The events of Nanking have been well documented particularly in the book called The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II by Iris Chang (1998). This history brings to light the horrors involved in ruthless military occupation. Even today war atrocities are perpetrated on a daily basis. Murder, rape, torture and indiscriminate violence have all been witnessed during the latest occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. The huge number of civilians killed, wounded or detained in the name of 'Freedom' by America and the UK makes comparisons with the rape of Nanking in 1937 possible.
City Of Life and Death should be seen by everyone but I am sure it will be ignored in favour of the sophomoric revisionist nonsense that is Inglourious Basterds (2009).
A special mention should go to the sound design department because this is some of the best sound design since Saving Private Ryan (1998).
On a technical level my only complaints are that there are far too many fade to blacks and the use of time cuts, which are film edits that sharply shorten time within the same scene (Such as with the sympathetic comfort woman) feel forced and take away from the power of the scene by appearing rushed.
These are post production mistakes but what was captured on Film by Chuan Lu is brilliantly directed and superbly acted.
Highly Recommended.
The choice of Black and White stock is a good one as it adds to the authenticity of the piece. It is also beautifully filmed by Yu Cao.
The events of Nanking have been well documented particularly in the book called The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II by Iris Chang (1998). This history brings to light the horrors involved in ruthless military occupation. Even today war atrocities are perpetrated on a daily basis. Murder, rape, torture and indiscriminate violence have all been witnessed during the latest occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. The huge number of civilians killed, wounded or detained in the name of 'Freedom' by America and the UK makes comparisons with the rape of Nanking in 1937 possible.
City Of Life and Death should be seen by everyone but I am sure it will be ignored in favour of the sophomoric revisionist nonsense that is Inglourious Basterds (2009).
A special mention should go to the sound design department because this is some of the best sound design since Saving Private Ryan (1998).
On a technical level my only complaints are that there are far too many fade to blacks and the use of time cuts, which are film edits that sharply shorten time within the same scene (Such as with the sympathetic comfort woman) feel forced and take away from the power of the scene by appearing rushed.
These are post production mistakes but what was captured on Film by Chuan Lu is brilliantly directed and superbly acted.
Highly Recommended.