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Nanking
R1 - America - Think Film Review written by and copyright: James Teitelbaum (21st August 2008). |
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The Film
 This is an interesting and powerful documentary about the destruction of the former Chinese capital of Nanking by Japanese military forces in 1937 and 1938. The story is told from four perspectives: First are interviews with survivors of the attacks, elderly people who were children at the time of the combat. Second is archival news footage of day-to-day life in 1937 that seques into film of the actual fighting and the aftermath of the Japanese invasion. There was a lot of film shot during this war, so footage is plentiful. Horrific reels of 16mm film smuggled out of China, and showing some of the worst atrocities, are also included. Third are subtitles filing in historical facts and bridging gaps. The fourth aspect of the story is told in a bit of a unique way. A group of actors (including Hugo Armstrong, Rosalind Chao, Stephen Dorff, Woody Harrelson, Mariel Hemingway, Chris Mulkey, Michelle Krusiec, and Jürgen Prochnow) take on the roles of real people - all Caucasians - who had been living in Nanking in the 1930's. The actors perform the actual words of these real people, usually speaking right to the camera as if being interviewed. The real people's words have been preserved via letters, journalistic dispatches, diaries, and other media. As each actor introduces himself (in character) a picture of the real person circa 1937 flashes on the screen. There were a lot of Westerners in Nanking at the time of the war, and (ironically, given events of the early 1940's) a group of Americans, English, Dutch, and National Socialist-sympathizing Germans teamed up to shelter fleeing Chinese civilians. The Japanese did not respect the refugee area, and continued their merciless bombing of China. The fearless team of international Westerners staunchly stood up to the Japanese who - for the time being - did not want to get into a war with Europe or America, and therefore let the refugee camp exist. An estimated 250,000 lives ere saved by these brave European and American men and women. As the story is related from the Chinese perspective, the Japanese are devils, ruthlessly slaughtering civilians, killing babies, violently abusing the pretty girls, and shooting fleeing civilians in the back. Some of the Chinese survivors tell amazing stories of how they escaped, and one man in particular starts sobbing as he relates the long, gripping, heartbreaking story of watching his mother and brother stabbed to death. Halfway through the documentary, interviews with real surviving Japanese soldiers is intercut with the real Chinese victims and the dramatic recreations of Western witnesses. The Japanese tell their tales, but don't seem to have much regret for their actions. This important and tragic portion of world history is related with appropriate heavy-handedness, and no punches are pulled (in fact, the documentary is rated R). The sickeningly violent so-called Rape of Nanking is an event that ought not be forgotten, nor brushed under the rug of history. Even if the official Japanese position is to downplay the event, the footage shot in Nanking in 1937 and 1938 remind us once again of the senselessness and brutality of war. And yet we keep doing it...
Video
Aspect ratio is 1.78:1 (16x9) anamorphic, the video quality during the interviews is fine, with some solid lighting and attention to detail present in the camera setups. Archival footage (as always) varies widely in image quality, but is more than made up for in the high quality of the shocking content. The only interviews that were not shot during production of the documentary, and which don't measure up quality-wise, are a few videotaped interviews with Japanese soldiers that look to be from the 1980's or so. Running time is 1:30:04.
Audio
Nanking is presented in the original English Dolby Digital 5.1, with an English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo option. Subtitles are in English and Spanish. The interviews are recorded just fine and mainly sit in the center of the soundfield. Fairly generic music is used sparingly for occasional background textures, and is low in the mix. Audio isn't quite as solid during a few bits of vintage interview material, but these segments are short and few.
Extras
Think Film has only released this film with a series of theatrical trailers. There's the film's original theatrical trailer which runs for 1 minute 38 seconds. Followed by a series of bonus trailers for: - "The Air I Breathe" which runs for 2 minutes 30 seconds. - "The Walker" which runs for 2 minutes 1 second. - "War Dance" which runs for 2 minutes 36 seconds.
Overall
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