2009 was a good year for Mainland China's films. At the beginning of the year, Feng Xiaogang's "If You Are the One" (2009) broke the box office record of RMB 300 million, and "The Founding of a Republic" (2009), celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, broke the record of RMB 300 million. The spy film "The Message" (2009) also has a box office of over 100 million, triggering a boom in Mainland spy detective films. As for Lu Chuan's "City of Life and Death" in the Mainland, it also achieved a box office of over RMB 100 million.
Lu Chuan became famous with "Mountain Patrol" (2004) and attracted much attention in the Mainland and overseas. The subject matter touched the concern and curiosity of people at home and abroad about the natural ecology of Tibet, and Lu Chuan's good management of images added infinite charm to the film. Later, Lu Chuan served as the director of "City of Life and Death", dealing with a politically and historically sensitive subject, the Japanese invasion of China during the Second World War, a tragic history called the Nanjing Massacre, which has always caused a lot of controversy and political turmoil in China and Japan. This time, Lu Chuan chose to enter the movie from the point of view of a conscientious Japanese soldier Kadokawa Masao (played by Nakaizumi Hideo), so as to bring out the most brutal and inhumane slaughtering war, and the Chinese soldier Lu Jianxiong (played by Liu Ye) who was defending Nanjing for the last resistance, as well as the experiences and attitudes of Tang Tianxiang (played by Fan Wei), who endured humiliation and survived, all reflected the situation at that time and his numbness to the war.
Lu Chuan imitated Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List" (1993), and the entire film was processed in black and white, reducing the bloody and violent scenes to a limited level of sensationalism. However, Lu Chuan's ability to process images is even better than "Mountain Patrol". There are many black and white images in the film that are like hard photos, and their shock is stronger than a thousand words. It is no wonder that when the film was released in the Mainland, it caused such a heated discussion. It is more rational and open, describing the state of the Japanese army from a humane standpoint, and how the German John Rabe (played by John Paisley), known as the Chinese Oskar Schindler, saved a group of Nanjing people, which made the film break away from the pattern of a historical political propaganda film, although the film has different characteristics. There are few political considerations and competition in the face of censorship, but the film is quite shocking and moving. Although some scenes are slightly sensational, the scenes of Tang Tianxiang's execution and the suicide of Kadokawa Masao at the end are extremely depressing and desolate. No wonder some people think that Lu Chuan's "City of Life and Death" can be compared with the films of Akira Kurosawa.
By Kam Po LAM (original in Chinese)
Lu Chuan became famous with "Mountain Patrol" (2004) and attracted much attention in the Mainland and overseas. The subject matter touched the concern and curiosity of people at home and abroad about the natural ecology of Tibet, and Lu Chuan's good management of images added infinite charm to the film. Later, Lu Chuan served as the director of "City of Life and Death", dealing with a politically and historically sensitive subject, the Japanese invasion of China during the Second World War, a tragic history called the Nanjing Massacre, which has always caused a lot of controversy and political turmoil in China and Japan. This time, Lu Chuan chose to enter the movie from the point of view of a conscientious Japanese soldier Kadokawa Masao (played by Nakaizumi Hideo), so as to bring out the most brutal and inhumane slaughtering war, and the Chinese soldier Lu Jianxiong (played by Liu Ye) who was defending Nanjing for the last resistance, as well as the experiences and attitudes of Tang Tianxiang (played by Fan Wei), who endured humiliation and survived, all reflected the situation at that time and his numbness to the war.
Lu Chuan imitated Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List" (1993), and the entire film was processed in black and white, reducing the bloody and violent scenes to a limited level of sensationalism. However, Lu Chuan's ability to process images is even better than "Mountain Patrol". There are many black and white images in the film that are like hard photos, and their shock is stronger than a thousand words. It is no wonder that when the film was released in the Mainland, it caused such a heated discussion. It is more rational and open, describing the state of the Japanese army from a humane standpoint, and how the German John Rabe (played by John Paisley), known as the Chinese Oskar Schindler, saved a group of Nanjing people, which made the film break away from the pattern of a historical political propaganda film, although the film has different characteristics. There are few political considerations and competition in the face of censorship, but the film is quite shocking and moving. Although some scenes are slightly sensational, the scenes of Tang Tianxiang's execution and the suicide of Kadokawa Masao at the end are extremely depressing and desolate. No wonder some people think that Lu Chuan's "City of Life and Death" can be compared with the films of Akira Kurosawa.
By Kam Po LAM (original in Chinese)