Released Year: 2008Directed by 陆川 Lu Chuan
Casted by:
刘烨 Liu Ye as 陸劍雄 Lu JiangXiong
高圆圆 Gao YuanYuan as 姜淑雲 Jiang ShuYun
范伟 Fan Wei as 唐天祥 Mr Tang
中泉英雄 Hideo Nakaizumi as 角川 Kadokawa
秦岚 Qin Lan as 唐周氏 Mrs Tang
江一燕 Jiang YiYan as 江香君 Xiao Jiang
宫本裕子 as 百合子 Yuriko
木幡龍 Ryu Kohata as 伊田修 Ida
劉斌 Liu Bin as 小豆子 Xiao DouZhi
John Paisely as John Rabe
Beverly Peckous as Minnie Vautrin
Story:City of Life and Death takes place in 1937, shortly after the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Imperial Japanese Army has just captured the capital of the Republic of China, Nanking. What followed is now known as the Nanking Massacre, a period of several weeks wherein massive numbers of Chinese prisoners of war and civilians were killed.
After some KMT commanders of the National Revolutionary Army flee Nanking, a Chinese Nationalist KMT soldier, Lu Jianxiong and fellow soldier Zhao attempt to stop a fleeing group of troops from leaving the city, but as they exit the city gates, they are captured by Japanese Imperial troops that have surrounded the city.
As the Japanese search the city, a Japanese soldier named Masao Kadokawa and other troops are raided by Lu and a small unit of KMT regular and irregular soldiers who attack from building tops. However, they are eventually forced to surrender as more Japanese troops arrive. Lu is captured and all the soldiers are marched out to the beach to be killed in a mass execution. Afterwards, Zhao finds Lu dead, but also sees that Xiaodouzi, a young boy soldier, has survived. Both of them flee to the Nanking Safety Zone run Dr. John Rabe, a German business man and Nazi party member as well as other Westerners. In this safety zone, thousands of Chinese women, children, elderly men, and wounded soldiers seek refuge from the killing. The safety zone is forcefully entered several times by bands of Japanese soldiers intent on raping female refugees. Due to the repeated intrusions, the women are forced to cut their hair and dress like men in order to avoid being raped. Xiaojiang, an attractive prostitute refuses to do so saying that she needs to keep her hair in order to feed herself.
Meanwhile, Kadokawa develops feelings for a Japanese comfort woman named Yuriko, and struggles to come to terms with the omnipresent violence around him with his own conflicting impulses. Despite his feelings of alienation, Kadokawa brings Yuriko candy and gifts from Japan and vows to marry her after the war.
Mr. Tang, a longtime assistant to Rabe, and Ms. Jiang Shuyun, a young female teacher, manage the daily operation of the safety zone. Although in a privileged position, Mr. Tang is unable to protect his child daughter from being killed by a Japanese soldier, and his sister-in-law from being raped. When the Japanese commander Osamu Ida requires 100 female refuges to work as "comfort women", Dr. Rabe and Ms. Jiang tearfully make the announcement to the refugees. Xiaojiang and other attractive women volunteer to be comfort women.
Kadokawa meets Xiojiang and brings her rice but witnesses another soldier rape her as she lies almost lifeless. Later, many of the volunteer comfort women including Xiaojiang die due to the non-stop rape (non-fictional event which happened at Ginling College, Nanjing). Kadokawa feels further alienated when Ida shoots Mr. Tang's sister in-law May who has apparently lost her mind singing opera.
Dr. Rabe is ordered back to Germany because his activities with the safety zone are harming the relationship between Nazi Germany and Japan. As a personal assistant to Rabe, Tang and his wife are allowed to leave Nanjing with Rabe. Although Tang is about to leave, he changes his mind and stays in order to search for May. He trades places with an officer pretending to be Dr. Rabe's assistant which Ida allows despite knowing he is actually a soldier. Mrs. Tang's is revealed to be pregnant before saying goodbye. As soon as Mrs. Tang and Rabe leave, Ida orders Tang shot by firing squad.
The Japanese disband the safety zone and begin to hunt down any men that look like soldiers. The Japanese claim that soldiers should come forward promising work and pay and will not be executed. However, all males deemed to be soldiers are put in a truck to be executed. Zhao, the soldier who survived the initial mass execution, is physically checked along with his hands and is initially deemed to be a non-combatant, but is noticed by a Japanese soldier and gets put in the truck of men believed to be soldiers.
After a plea is made by the remaining Westerners, Ida allows family members to select one male to be saved. Ms. Jiang rescues one male by claiming that he is her husband and then returns for Zhao. She also tries to claims him as her husband along with Xiaodouzi pretending to be his son. Kadokawa looks straight at Ms. Jiang but does not reveal her ruse. However, another Japanese soldier points her out to Ida and has all three of them captured. Zhao is again taken away along with Xiaodouzi this time. Ms. Jiang, knowing that she may be raped to death asks Kadokawa to shoot her. He grants her wish and shoots her much to the other soldiers' surprise.
Afterwards, Kadokawa looks for Yuriko but finds out that she has died traveling with the Japanese troops who have left Nanking. He says the she was his wife at one point. Celebrating the conquest of Nanking, the Japanese perform a dance where Kadokawa reveals his emotional turmoil over what he has done and witnessed.
Zhao and Xiaodouzi are marched out of town by Kadokawa and another soldier. Zhao and Xiaodouzi are surprised when Kadokawa releases them. Kadokawa tells the other soldier that "Life is more difficult than death." As the other Japanese soldier walks away, Kadokawa weeps before shooting himself to escape from his guilt. Zhao and Xioadouzi walk away delighted to still be alive.
In the ending credits, it is revealed that Mrs. Tang lived to an old age as well as Commander Ida. Xiaodouzi is shown to still be alive today.
After some KMT commanders of the National Revolutionary Army flee Nanking, a Chinese Nationalist KMT soldier, Lu Jianxiong and fellow soldier Zhao attempt to stop a fleeing group of troops from leaving the city, but as they exit the city gates, they are captured by Japanese Imperial troops that have surrounded the city.
As the Japanese search the city, a Japanese soldier named Masao Kadokawa and other troops are raided by Lu and a small unit of KMT regular and irregular soldiers who attack from building tops. However, they are eventually forced to surrender as more Japanese troops arrive. Lu is captured and all the soldiers are marched out to the beach to be killed in a mass execution. Afterwards, Zhao finds Lu dead, but also sees that Xiaodouzi, a young boy soldier, has survived. Both of them flee to the Nanking Safety Zone run Dr. John Rabe, a German business man and Nazi party member as well as other Westerners. In this safety zone, thousands of Chinese women, children, elderly men, and wounded soldiers seek refuge from the killing. The safety zone is forcefully entered several times by bands of Japanese soldiers intent on raping female refugees. Due to the repeated intrusions, the women are forced to cut their hair and dress like men in order to avoid being raped. Xiaojiang, an attractive prostitute refuses to do so saying that she needs to keep her hair in order to feed herself.
Meanwhile, Kadokawa develops feelings for a Japanese comfort woman named Yuriko, and struggles to come to terms with the omnipresent violence around him with his own conflicting impulses. Despite his feelings of alienation, Kadokawa brings Yuriko candy and gifts from Japan and vows to marry her after the war.
Mr. Tang, a longtime assistant to Rabe, and Ms. Jiang Shuyun, a young female teacher, manage the daily operation of the safety zone. Although in a privileged position, Mr. Tang is unable to protect his child daughter from being killed by a Japanese soldier, and his sister-in-law from being raped. When the Japanese commander Osamu Ida requires 100 female refuges to work as "comfort women", Dr. Rabe and Ms. Jiang tearfully make the announcement to the refugees. Xiaojiang and other attractive women volunteer to be comfort women.
Kadokawa meets Xiojiang and brings her rice but witnesses another soldier rape her as she lies almost lifeless. Later, many of the volunteer comfort women including Xiaojiang die due to the non-stop rape (non-fictional event which happened at Ginling College, Nanjing). Kadokawa feels further alienated when Ida shoots Mr. Tang's sister in-law May who has apparently lost her mind singing opera.
Dr. Rabe is ordered back to Germany because his activities with the safety zone are harming the relationship between Nazi Germany and Japan. As a personal assistant to Rabe, Tang and his wife are allowed to leave Nanjing with Rabe. Although Tang is about to leave, he changes his mind and stays in order to search for May. He trades places with an officer pretending to be Dr. Rabe's assistant which Ida allows despite knowing he is actually a soldier. Mrs. Tang's is revealed to be pregnant before saying goodbye. As soon as Mrs. Tang and Rabe leave, Ida orders Tang shot by firing squad.
The Japanese disband the safety zone and begin to hunt down any men that look like soldiers. The Japanese claim that soldiers should come forward promising work and pay and will not be executed. However, all males deemed to be soldiers are put in a truck to be executed. Zhao, the soldier who survived the initial mass execution, is physically checked along with his hands and is initially deemed to be a non-combatant, but is noticed by a Japanese soldier and gets put in the truck of men believed to be soldiers.
After a plea is made by the remaining Westerners, Ida allows family members to select one male to be saved. Ms. Jiang rescues one male by claiming that he is her husband and then returns for Zhao. She also tries to claims him as her husband along with Xiaodouzi pretending to be his son. Kadokawa looks straight at Ms. Jiang but does not reveal her ruse. However, another Japanese soldier points her out to Ida and has all three of them captured. Zhao is again taken away along with Xiaodouzi this time. Ms. Jiang, knowing that she may be raped to death asks Kadokawa to shoot her. He grants her wish and shoots her much to the other soldiers' surprise.
Afterwards, Kadokawa looks for Yuriko but finds out that she has died traveling with the Japanese troops who have left Nanking. He says the she was his wife at one point. Celebrating the conquest of Nanking, the Japanese perform a dance where Kadokawa reveals his emotional turmoil over what he has done and witnessed.
Zhao and Xiaodouzi are marched out of town by Kadokawa and another soldier. Zhao and Xiaodouzi are surprised when Kadokawa releases them. Kadokawa tells the other soldier that "Life is more difficult than death." As the other Japanese soldier walks away, Kadokawa weeps before shooting himself to escape from his guilt. Zhao and Xioadouzi walk away delighted to still be alive.
In the ending credits, it is revealed that Mrs. Tang lived to an old age as well as Commander Ida. Xiaodouzi is shown to still be alive today.
L² Scored: 7.5/10L² Comment:
Awards winner in San Sebastian Film Festival 2009 in Spain, the director and actors are nominated in few other awards as well. Lu Chuan cleverly chose to film this movie in black and white which match the scenery, sadness of this movie.
By the way, this japanese hot stud Hideo Nakaizumi is definitely hot :)
By the way, this japanese hot stud Hideo Nakaizumi is definitely hot :)
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