epic war drama

Rating: 9/10 (1 January 2012)

A visually stunning war epic from Chinese director Yimou Zhang, this film tackles the infamous rape of Nanking by the Japanese in 1937. Christian Bale is a mortician who arrives in the besieged city at the height of the battle; his mission is to bury the newly deceased Father Ingleman. He ends up taking shelter in a Catholic Church, which is a neutral zone during the war. A group of schoolgirls is already living there. Within a short period of time, several prostitutes arrive at the church to hide from the rampaging soldiers.
Bale is great in the lead, as always, as commanding a presence as any actor working today and his female counterpart, newcomer Ni Ni, is someone to watch out for, she is beautiful and has a star quality that is undeniable. Although it runs well over two hours, I never lost interest and I really cared about what happened to the victims of this sad part of history. The Flowers of War will reach into your heart and soul and stay with you long after the credits roll.