| A little trip to Wikipedia to read up on the Nanking Massacre, both for personal information purposes and in prep for this John Woo produced production helps. Partially due to the fact that various text cards in the movie lack English translation and certain other aspects documented about the atrocities committed by the Japanese forces can be picked up upon. As a portrait of the time, it's always important to highlight, be it in grim manner by Mou Tun-Fei in Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre or in this well-made production that doesn't push the envelope but still manages to horrify enough. Problem is, so does a read on Wikipedia but the subject matter is always valid to bring up. Focusing of course on the occupation by the Japanese army of Nanjing in December 1937, amidst all this we have fictional elements that concerns a Chinese/Japanese family (husband is played by Chin Han), a teacher (Rene Liu) and a solider trying to stay alive, even within the Nanking Safety Zone. Obvious drama intentions such as Chin Han's Cheng-Xian having a Japanese family, the advantage of that, the grave disadvantage of that and if you could carry a glimmer of hope during this time, are in place but there's nothing truly gripping about director Wu Zi-Nu's (Sino Dutch War 1661) portrait. What is gripping is the reality of it, taking place amidst them and around them in large set pieces covered in blood and destruction. Wu pushes fairly mildly yet still hard enough for an audience to react but overall Don't Cry, Nanking isn't revolutionary for this real life matter. But it is allowed to occupy a place in history and cinema history. Even Mou Tun-Fei's film is. |
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