Nanking (2007) R - 3½ Stars

Well here is a war that I knew little about. The movie Nanking is about the invasion of Japan onto Chinese soil. On August 14, 1937 in Shanghai, China, over 3,000 people lie dead. Most wealthy people got out of Shanghai before the onset of Imperial Japanese Army in the early stages of WWII. However, the poor had no means to flee and became refugees held up in Nanking at make shift camps. The true life stories of some of the survivors REALLY make you feel for them as they're moved to tears recalling their childhood and the footage is incredible. A real tradegy that could have been so much worse.

On November 13th, 1937 was the fall of Shanghai. This documentary tells the story from some of the people there. Now grown, many of the Chinese survivors, tell their extremly moving tales of being ripped from their mother's arms, or abandoned on the streets while fleeing. Raids were done on large groups of Chinese and all the young men taken away. Even if they were not soldiers, they were taken as well, some beheaded, some set a fire but by the orders of General Matat Sui, "Burn them all!" Most women and young girls were raped and treated terribly inhumane. The movie is also narrated by a group of actors portraying the recollections and diaries of John Rabe (Jürgen Prochnow), Minnie Vautrin (Mariel Hemingway) , Bob Wilson (Woody Harrelson) and George Fitch (John Getz). It's because of these brave people, who with their determination and courage, helped save 280,000 people from certain death by helping to establish a safety zone.

2007 - Nanking - Sundance Film Festival - Best Editing - Documentary.

THINKFilm
Directors: Dan Sturman, Bill Guttentag
Writers: Bill Guttentag, Dan Sturman, Elisabeth Bentley
Producers: Michael Jacobs, Bill Guttentag, Ted Leonsis
Assistant Editor : Martin Alcala
On-Line Editor: Bill Missett
Dialog Editor: Mike Cook
Additional Assistant Editor: Sara Mineo
Editor: Michael Schweitzer, Charlton McMillan, Hibah Sherif Frisina

I viewed 8/08