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Updated Friday, October 30, 2009 9:17 am TWN, By James Topley, Special to The China Post

City of Life and Death 南京！南京！

The opening scenes could be confusing to anyone not aware of the period; yet even when the film finds its rhythm, there is a feeling of familiarity. An early battle sequence is terrifically directed, and when the action winds down the film transitions brilliantly, terrifyingly, into the aftermath, the so-called Safety Zone. A safety zone is commonly used within conflict-ridden films such as “Hotel Rwanda,” but here, the Japanese never really entertain such niceties. Outside the zone was hell; by all accounts, inside was not much better.

The depiction of these horrendous few weeks contains some of the most harrowing images ever committed to film. While rarely explicit, the film hammers home from this point onwards. The massacre of thousands of powerless Chinese, obliterated on an enormous scale, is genuinely shocking for all their lack of resistance. Even the more character-driven, calmer events can still reinforce the creeping realization that no one is safe; a later sequence with women volunteering themselves as “comfort girls” for the Japanese soldiers, or the aftermath of Rabe departing from the city in the finale, are so excruciating as to border on unwatchable.

The film falls noticeably short of perfection. The monochrome cinematography is a little too lackluster and could have benefited from a more contrasting color palette with clearer blacks and fewer grays. The acting reaches some particularly high levels, especially from Liu Ye as the resistance leader. Nonetheless, Hideo Nakaizumi as Takada, the Japanese lead, is somewhat outclassed; his performance was simply not up to the task.

Nonetheless, "City of Life and Death" is an eye-opener, comfortably proving the mainland Chinese film industry is more than able to produce absolutely wondrous cinema, while still able to keep the Communist regime happy. Ultimately, the most interesting aspect of the film may not be the movie itself, but the social and political implications of its creation and distribution.

Still, whilst the movie is unpleasant enough in places to make me want to lose my lunch into my popcorn, it is decent, engaging and significant. It might not be easy to watch, but it's definitely worth the effort. The round of applause the film received from the audience at the closing credits was certainly well-deserved.

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	Although some war films have blatant propaganda interlaced within their scripts, “City of Life and Death” is far from being an audacious call to arms. In fact it is the very essence of fear that makes this conflict so deplorable to watch. (Courtesy of Applause) Enlarge Photo


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