City of Life and Death

City of Life and Death, also known as Nanjing 1937, is a 2009 Chinese war drama film directed by Lu Chuan. This powerful film tells the harrowing story of the 1937 Nanking Massacre, in which the Imperial Japanese Army perpetrated brutal atrocities against Chinese soldiers and civilians following the capture of the city. The film begins with the fall of the Republic of China army led by General Tang Weiguo and is followed by the entrance of the Japanese forces into the city of Nanjing, once the capital of China. The city is depicted in a frenetic and disorganized manner, with panicked Chinese officers trying to flee, civilians desperately trying to escape, and ordinary Japanese soldiers reveling in their military victory. As the Japanese Army pours in, the film shifts its focus to Lu Jiancun, played by Wu Jun, a former Nationalist soldier turned civilian, who witnesses the fall of his city. Lu's wife, Li Li, played by Liu Yifei, and their newborn child are taken to safety by Lu, and the film then cuts to his life as he navigates the desperate circumstances of his city. The true horrors of war begin to reveal themselves to Lu, however, as he discovers a horrific and disturbing reality. He stumbles upon a Japanese soldier, Kojima, played by Jiang Wu, who turns out to be a war correspondent determined to expose the brutal truths of the Japanese army's actions in the occupied city. As the occupation unfolds, Japanese soldiers begin to commit atrocities against all that is innocent, the Chinese citizens are systematically brutalized with no quarter asked for. These scenes are some of the most disturbing in the film – scenes of mass rape, murder, and brutal torture – serve to expose the true nature of the Japanese occupation and the brutal, senseless cruelty it unleashed on the people of Nanjing. Lu Jiancun struggles to survive the horrors that surround him, and the desperation of his fellow citizens begins to wear him down. As the six weeks of brutal occupation pass, Lu finds himself torn between seeking revenge and maintaining a semblance of humanity in the midst of unimaginable atrocities. Through Kojima's interactions with Lu and his fellow soldiers, the film humanizes a Japanese soldier who has witnessed, and in fact participated in, the atrocity. Kojima, in his role as a war correspondent, is moved by the actions of the Japanese army and is determined to expose the atrocities to the world. In doing so, the film raises difficult questions about the nature of human behavior under extreme circumstances. As the occupation comes to an end, the film shifts its focus back to Lu Jiancun, who, in the aftermath of the horrors, seeks some semblance of justice for the people of Nanjing. In its final frames, City of Life and Death raises important questions about the nature of war, the fragility of human life and the responsibility of individuals in the face of atrocity. Lu Chuan's City of Life and Death is a powerful exploration of one of the darkest chapters in human history, offering a stark reminder of the brutality and horrors of war. Based on real events, the film sheds light on the Nanking Massacre and challenges its audience to confront the complexities of human nature in the face of extreme circumstances. The film serves as a chilling reminder that even the most horrific crimes are real events with real victims and, ultimately, can not be overlooked or ignored.