Arguably the most eagerly-anticipated Chinese movie of the year, Zhang Yimou's epic retelling of the 1937 Nanking Massacre is not only the country's most expensive movie ever, but boasts Academy Award winner Christian Bale in the lead role. Bale plays John Miller, an American mortician who is summoned to a Cathedral in Nanking to help bury the deceased priest, only to take his place and help defend the young female students, as well as a troupe of prostitutes, from the invading Japanese forces.
THE FLOWERS OF WAR is a big movie in every sense of the word, from its kinetic battle scenes to the beautiful photography and impressive performances from a mostly young and inexperienced cast. Any new project from Zhang Yimou is a big deal. He is China's most internationally-renowned filmmaker, praised for both for his bold visual style in films such as HERO and CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER, but also for his earlier, more character-driven films, like JU DOU and RAISE THE RED LANTERN, which detail the plights of young women in oppressive, male-centric societies.
While many of these themes reappear in THE FLOWERS OF WAR, there is no escaping this is primarily a story about one of the most notorious and enduringly sensitive incidents in recent Chinese history, which has put serious strain on the relationship between China and Japan to this day. What is disappointing is that THE FLOWERS OF WAR takes a very simplistic, heavy-handed approach to history and seems content to demonize the Japanese soldiers without ever attempting to justify or even question their behaviour.
The only Japanese character displaying any notion of decency is Colonel Hasegawa (Watabe Atsuro), a man so well educated, disciplined and versed in Western culture that he is barely acknowledged as being Japanese - and is obviously rendered completely powerless the moment he shows a glimmer of compassion for the women Miller has sworn to protect. This approach is especially disappointing in the wake of a film like Lu Chuan's CITY OF LIFE AND DEATH, which goes to great lengths to humanize those who took part in the massacre, to examine the impossible choices made by Japanese infantrymen during the invasion, without ever excusing what took place.
In the film, Bale's character is seduced by Yu Mo (Ni Ni), a prostitute looking for a way out of the city. She has been elected by her colleagues, as the most attractive and seductive, to use her charms on the Westerner so that they may find their freedom. In some ways, THE FLOWERS OF WAR is attempting to do the same thing. It is oftentimes a very entertaining film, in the same way as SCHINDLER'S LIST or BLACK HAWK DOWN can be considered so. Although it is not always a happy experience to watch - indeed there are several moments of distressing violence and savagery - it is an extremely effective and accomplished piece of filmmaking. The action, cinematography and acting are all up to Hollywood standards and edited together with a sweeping, melodramatic style that will prove very effective on audiences, and could steer them wide of having a wider, more balanced perspective on what took place.
The inclusion of Hollywood A-lister Bale is certainly a bonus, and his presence ensures that at least half of the film is in English. Combine his star power with a supporting cast of beautiful and exotic women, in a thrilling and highly emotional story of life and death during one of the twentieth century's most infamous occurences of mass-slaughter and the film's backers are almost guaranteed a sizable crossover hit. The problem is that Zhang's approach is completely one-sided and even exploitative, in its depiction of the rape, murder and victimisation of Chinese people at the hands of their aggressors.
On the surface THE FLOWERS OF WAR is a story of redemption. Miller arrives on the scene as a chancer and a drunkard, looking to swipe some cash from the cathedral and get out of Nanking as quickly as he can. But when faced with the horrors of the Japanese invasion, and seemingly the only beacon of hope for a group of innocent schoolgirls and "fallen women" he eventually finds his true calling and, in doing so, also "saves" himself, in a deeply spiritual sense. The prostitutes are also given a chance to atone for their sinful lives, but divulging exactly how would spoil too much of the story. Suffice to say that the young students represent the innocence and purity of women, of humanity, and also of China, which must be preserved.
One of the film's greatest strengths is its cinematography. As the title might suggest, there are numerous moments where a dash of colour - be it a stained glass window or the silk of a cheongsam - shines through the fog and dust of war as a fleeting glimmer of hope, of humanity, of life. There are also moments when colour is used more heavy-handedly, namely when a shocking streak of blood appears on the tip of a bayonet, or smatters across a curtain. The huge red and white cross that emblazons the courtyard outside the cathedral, implores the enemy not to attack this house of God and place of refuge. An international symbol of peace and innocence, the red cross on a white background also makes for a poignant comparison with the Japanese flag, that signals impending horror, and even betrayal when worn on the armbands of coalescing Chinese. Miller himself also stands out as the sole Westerner (save for one brief scene featuring Paul Schneider) amidst an otherwise entirely Asian cast.
The beautiful actress Ni Ni makes a very strong debut as Yu Mo, the leader of the prostitutes, whose command of English enables her to converse and bargain with Miller, and ultimately to seduce him. She strikes the perfect balance between seductress and scared victim, drawing our gaze even when surrounded by other beauties, and holding her own admirably in numerous scenes with Bale. One minor frustration is that Yu Mo's faltering English often lacks authenticity, and she is able to compose beautiful analogies and allusions when it suits the scene despite her limitations. Not a fault of the character or the performance, but rather of the screenwriters. Elsewhere characters, such as the young student Shu (Zhang Xinyi), or altar boy George (Huang Tianyuan), speak with more convincing inaccuracy, but as the primary character with whom Miller must converse, Yu Mo speaks in poetic phrases that seem unrealistic coming from a character with her limited linguistic skills.
Wisely, Bale is given plenty of freedom with the character of John Miller, and never shies away from making him fallable and unlikable. Ultimately, the audience does warm to him, and so do the other characters, but when it happens, it feels earned, and it is reassuring to see Bale challenge himself in the role, rather than simply taking the cash and phoning in a performance. It is a rare treat for a Western character to be given such responsibility and exposure in a Chinese film, and that such a talented actor has been employed. Bale does good work here, for which he should be proud, despite the political accusations that have been levelled at him in the aftermath of his participation.
In the end I am left conflicted by THE FLOWERS OF WAR. On the one hand it is an impressively staged war drama and a frequently exhilarating experience, from which I honestly feel many viewers can get quite a lot. On the other hand, it is a blinkered, unbalanced and frustrating portrayal of the Japanese that makes no attempt to explain, question or even understand their behaviour. Because of the film's narrow perspective on this particularly troubling chapter of history, it is very difficult to recommend, despite its many strengths. What can be said with some certainty is that THE FLOWERS OF WAR will reach a wider audience than many of China's other recent militaristic dramas, but it is unlikely to win the Chinese Film Industry many more supporters in the long run.
THE FLOWERS OF WAR opened in China on 16 December and will open in Hong Kong on 19 January 2012.
More from The Flowers of War
- Reviews: Review: THE FLOWERS OF WAR (Yimou Zhang)
- News: CHINA BEAT: Let Slip The Bales Of War
- News: US Trailer For Zhang Yimou's THE FLOWERS OF WAR With Christian Bale
- News: Check out 3 new posters for THE FLOWERS OF WAR
- Galleries: The Flowers Of War
- News: Christian Bale fights for Nanjing in THE FLOWERS OF WAR trailer
This movie stumbles upon a extremely sensitive topic in Chinese history, and should be treated seriously.
My great Grandmother's village during wartime was ransacked by the Japanese army with her barely escaping. Being a Chinese Canadian, I almost walked out of the theatre half way through the movie the moment I saw prolonged rape scenes of children.
Yes, during the NanKing massacre, Chinese children and even infants were raped and slaughtered like animals. Yes, Chinese women were raped repeatedly and bayonneted between the legs. Yes, it was a dark and inhumane time in Chinese history. But that does not justify the over exaggerated yet artistic camera work on prolonged rape and murder scenes of children and Chinese Women.
It seems the director was trying to evoke a certain emotional reaction by referencing random scenes from fiction films like grindhouse, yet falls flat with plot holes such as when Chinese soldiers lined up to be killed in a row, or the ludicrous storyline for 2 women to be wandering outside the church, then gang raped and killed by the Japanese soldiers.
I’m unsure if the director even have a clue as to why events of NanKing took place. Before the Japanese even arrived in NanKing, The KMT pulled out of NanKing with soldiers looting, killing and beheading other Chinese believed to be CCP officers, leaving locals (or what’s left of them) to fend for themselves, yet in the film, they’re branded glorious heroes. The CCP during this time were hiding in caves and could only use guerrila warfare against the Japanese. When the Japanese surrendered, Chairman Mao refused payment from the Japanese for warcrimes (hence no proof of what happened in NanKing), and he even thanked them for weakening the KMT in order for the CCP to rise in power.
All in all, what I felt after walking out of the theatre was disgust for the director's lack of sympathy and respect for real history, while capitalizing on utilization of high end camera work for scenes of rape, pedophilia and brutality.
Can we once talk about the film, rather than history? Jeezz...
Is it a good film? Plain and simple. That is the most important topic.
@Asif: No. It isn't the most important topic. You have to question the making of films such as this one. It isn't just a film, it's a political one. Therefore, it is vital for people to know the truth that lies behind because the scenes that our friend Leo describe above aren't meant just to shock, but also to manipulate the opinions of the viewers, influence their feelings concerning events that aren't even a century old and still have an impact today. So the history NEEDS to be discussed, because as a political/historical film, if it distorts the truth, then it is revisionism and needs to be criticized as such.
@Leo: "All in all, what I felt after walking out of the theatre was disgust for the director's lack of sympathy and respect for real history" Movies like this are propaganda, pure and simple. Just like they manipulated historical truths in other movies before (just look at Ip Man, for instance) to bring things in line with the CCP's program, the same happened with this one.
I'm sure there must be one, but I can't think of it now ... Has there ever been another Chinese film production (or Japanese or Korean, for that matter) that featured a quality american actor in the lead, or even a strong supporting role, whose character was treated with respect? I'm just curious. Don't read anything between the lines.
James, the only reason you feel frustrated is because you don't understand the history or cultural background, similarly for most western audience. Was there any exploration of why Nazi did what they did in Inglourious Basterds? Or Schindler's List for that argument? No really. No one blames it why? because most westerners somewhat knows the background.
It is not the film's responsibility to educate you. Plus, it is really aiming at the Chinese audience, AS LONG AS THEY understand, it is good enough. After all, IT IS NOT A DOCUMENTARY.
Do you respect a drama director for directing a drama into documentary?
If that'st the respect you are talking about the CHINESE FILM INDUSTRY would lose from you, then so be it.
1. How many people lived in Nanjing?
2. How many Japanese military?
3. Japanese military ammunition or were able to maintain?
4. Citizens were there to be wait killed or why? Why not escape?
5. Atomic bomb (Hiroshima and Nagasaki), only 140,000 peaple in damage. Japanese military is stronger than atomic bomb?
6. China military is what doing?
please tell me.
I have long disliked the Chinese version of the Rape of Nanking, which is basically concerned with turning a brutal wartime incident (which few would deny) into a national myth. But this movie has very little to do with history. The story does not claim to be historically authentic, being the creation of a Chinese novelist, and I doubt whether anything remotely resembling this occurred in occupied Nanjing. In the end, it is nothing more than a 'beautiful myth' with history as a backdrop. And the depiction of a group of high-spirited, noisy, gaudily dressed women coming from the smoking ruins of the city to the church highlights just how surreal this story is.
At its deepest level, the movie concerns the transformation of base and immoral characters into heroes and heroines. The American mortician, drunken and grasping, is transformed into a heroic priest. The prostitutes, brassy and self-indulgent, are transformed into heroines willing to make the supreme sacrifice. And even a collaborator is turned into a loving father whose only goal is to save his daughter. This is the story of the film, and if looked at closely, it isn't even necessarily nationalistic (although it will no doubt be received as such, given the way the Chinese have been educated about the Rape).
Interestingly, there are several phenomena that are (relatively speaking) new to Mainland cinema:
* A patriotic KMT soldier is portrayed as a hero for his country, remaining behind to singlehandedly destroy as many Japanese as he can. (Another commenter has already noted that this was highly improbable.) In the past, it has always been the practice to denigrate the KMT and present the Communist army as the saviours of China.
* A collaborator with the Japanese is presented as a human being aware that he is doing the wrong thing but desperate to save his daughter. In the past China has not had such a benign view of collaborators.
* A number of characters speak in noticeable Nanjing dialect. This may not be the first time dialect has been used on screen, but it was not so many years ago that most characters, even regional characters, basically spoke in standard putonghua. (The Japanese soldiers also spoke in dialect.)
What does not change is the presentation of the Japanese as brutal monsters -- although surprisingly venal in a very Chinese way -- but apart from the scenes where the brave KMT soldier manages to maximise his killing of Japanese soldiers, the Japanese are surprisingly irrelevant to the film. They merely provide the historical background and the outside stimulus that propels events in the church towards a heroic end.
i think asif just got raped, wonder if the camera angles were artistic enough for such an event.