A Beautiful Portrayal of Humanity

Rating: 10/10 (15 April 2012)

"The Flowers of War", a film by an acclaimed Chinese Director, Zhang YiMou. Although I have not seen much of his films, but I have learned from some of his movies that they are visually captivating. This movie is no exception. But it offers more than just that.
It tells of a story during the Sino-Japanese war, where the Japanese took over Nanking. A group of convent girl students took shelter in the church after failing to leave the city. And later joined by a group of women from the brothel. It is a story of their survival.
Christian Bale starred as John, a mortician, who came to the church intending to prepare a burial for the church's priest. Acted like a jerk in the beginning, John was later caught in the situation and realized that he could not afford to just leave the church, the girls and the women behind.
The movie brilliantly captured the emotions of the people, of them trying to escape from the Japanese soldiers. The feeling of fear grabbed us through the heart, their fear of being captured, being raped, and being killed. And all they could do was run and hide.
It also blatantly showed us the strong contrast of cruelty and humanity. On the brink of a situation, you could either be downright heartless, or you could show the human side of you. After all it is inside everyone of us. We would have found ours if we sympathized the characters and if we stood by justice. But yet the story slapped the truth right in our face that there are still bad apples in this world. People who would brutally do whatever they like to fulfill their desires.
The acting throughout the movie was beyond amazing. The director must have pushed the actors (especially the young ones) to a point that they were showing true feelings, so believable, and every detail of their acting and emotion was accounted for. I was truly impressed, especially by the little girls.
This is a truly amazing film. And an important one. Reminding us about the unforgettable event taken place in Nanking. And reminding us to cherish and to love. And there is a human in everyone of us. Easily one of the best films of the year!
My Rating: 10/10 Status: Extremely Highly Recommended