City of Life and Death (2009)

Synopsis: December 9, 1937: The Imperial Japanese Army lays siege to Nanking, the Chinese capital, killing as many as 300,000 civilians during a six-week reign of terror. For the first time, a Chinese... December 9, 1937: The Imperial Japanese Army lays siege to Nanking, the Chinese capital, killing as many as 300,000 civilians during a six-week reign of terror. For the first time, a Chinese filmmaker tells this story, the details of which Japan disputes to this day. Shot in stark black-and-white, CITY OF LIFE AND DEATH follows those caught in the crossfire: a young Chinese general who leads a platoon in street fighting; John Rabe, a German businessman who establishes a safety zone in an attempt to protect the lives of countless Chinese; and a Japanese officer conflicted about the brutality of his commander, among a defiant population struggling against impossible odds. “One of the most talented Chinese filmmakers to emerge in recent years…a phantasmagoric vision…Mr. Lu smartly toggles between the prisoners and their captors, a strategy that helps to humanize the invaders, giving a face to evil.” – Manohla Dargis, The New York Times --© Film Forum [More]

Starring: John Paisley, Jiang Yiyan

Starring: John Paisley, Jiang Yiyan

Director: Lu Chuan

Director: Lu Chuan
Screenwriter: Lu Chuan
Composer: Liu Tong
Studio: National Geographic

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