The City of Life and Death

I did not plan on watching the movie. In fact it was an impromptu decision as President asked me and I agreed - 2 hrs before the movie.

It's a black and white movie and this further enhanced the grim plot that the movie is unrevealing. The movie focused on different characters to present the story and the atrocities performed by the Japanese to the civilians in Nanking. Although I admit I find the movie sometimes confusing as it never explains clearly some of the reasons for the certain scenes i.e. Why was Mr Tang killed? Yes, he did not manage to leave with Rabe. But why does he have to die? Maybe all these confusing scenes are to portray that at that era, deaths are meaningless. There might not need any reasons for killings to arise. Indeed such moments offer room for imagination.

Someone asked me if after watching the show, will I hate the Japanese? The answer is no. Because one of the leading characters inside the film is a Japanese who was supposedly to be rather sympathetic to the Chinese. This is also one of the reasons why the film was rather condemned in China. But I guess by portraying a "sympathetic" Japanese makes this film a more realistic one in my view. Yes the Japanese indeed committed atrocities which were unforgivable. But some of these soldiers might have another side which was not easily seen - they might also be people who missed home and hoped to win the war so that they could return to their homeland and be reunited with relatives.

Inside the movie, it offers another perspective of why people turned traitors. They wanted to protect their family. Because of this greed, this might translate into more terror than one had wished. E.g. Mr Tang in the movie, because of his greed, he caused more harm than good to his family members. And perhaps that is to illustrate that Japanese could not be trusted. Or perhaps life has its own karma. In the end he chose to stay behind and then he died. At that moment, I chose to believe he somehow felt guilty for his betrayal.

I guess in the end why I think this movie is worth watching is because of its theme. Its realistic theme of wartime. It makes me more appreciative of what I have and the peace we're enjoying. Wars caused senseless killings and pain to families and even soldiers - no matter which side they are from. The horrors and remnants of war are unimaginable. That is when I think I like what all candidates of Ms Universe say.... "I hope for.... and World Peace".