Acting with true emotions

Rating: 8/10 (24 October 2012)

This is one of the more interesting movies about the infamous rape of Nanking during the Japanese invasion. In comparison to many other contemporary Chinese history flicks, this one is gladly not so much overloaded with patriotic propaganda aspects apart of a lonesome Chinese solider who easily kills dozens of Japanese soldiers in one scene.
The movie focuses much more on stunning costumes, epic graphics and a great camera work. Zhang Yimou is definitely one of the best directors world wide in this category and just this aspect is worth experiencing this film.
The film also has a very strong character development. Christian Bale really shines in his role as alcoholic mortician and goes through quite some changes. Another amazing acting comes from the young and highly talented Ni Ni who is not only one of the most beautiful women in modern cinema but also a convincing actress in her role as a tough prostitute with a breakable heart. The acting of Huang Tianyuan as desperate but energizing assistant and protégé of the deceased head father of the convent is also stunning and I hope to see more movies with him in the future.
The characters all get some depth and have a quite good chemistry that grows over the movie and makes the heroic sacrifice of the prostitutes for the convent schoolgirls credible in the end. This is where the drama gets really human and touching and you may have a little tear in your eyes by watching the final moments of this film. Despite the dark and desperate historic context and many tension filled moments, this film also some humorous moments that light up the atmosphere and where Christian Bale really shines. Let's also mention that some of the Japanese and especially Colonel Hasegawa who is portrayed by the strong Atsuro Watabe get some depth through this film and are not only represented as brutal killing machines but as cultivated and intellectual characters with a slightly sadistic core which makes them more realistic.
Even though this movie has a few lengths, it's strong enough to convince thanks to a very great acting with true emotions. The ending is a little bit too open in my humble opinion and I would have liked something more concrete but this only shows how much one gets to adore all these characters in a little bit less than two hours and a half of running time. Any fan of contemporary Chinese cinema should definitely check this very detailed, passionate and visual movie out.