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City of War: The Story of John Rabe (2009)
"John Rabe" (original title)

7.1
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Ratings: 7.1/10 from 3,348 users   Metascore: 57/100
Reviews: 18 user | 47 critic | 15 from Metacritic.com

A true-story account of a German businessman who saved more than 200,000 Chinese during the Nanjing massacre in 1937-38.

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
...
Valérie Dupres
Dagmar Manzel ...
Dora Rabe
...
Langshu
...
Prince Asaka Yasuhiko
Mathias Herrmann ...
Werner Fließ
Tetta Sugimoto ...
Nakajima Kesago
Akira Emoto ...
Matsui Iwane
Arata Iura ...
Major Ose (as Arata)
...
Christian Rodska ...
Dr. Lewis Smythe
...
Dr. Oskar Trautmann
Fang Yu ...
Hsianglin Han
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Storyline

After 28 years building and managing a vast Siemens plant in Nanking, John Rabe is ordered by the new Nazi regime to close it down. Before he can pack, the Japanese army, lead unofficially by a bloodthirsty imperial uncle, lays siege to the city. Rabe accepts, as prominent representative of Japans' major European ally, to head the Western ex-pats society's plan to start and run an international zone, like worked in Shangai. Rabe however wants it to save his workers and their close ones, over 200,000, and sacrifices all his personal interests. Written by KGF Vissers

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

siemens | german | major | siege | japanese | See more »

Taglines:

History needs extraordinary heroes.


Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

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Country:

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Release Date:

2 April 2009 (Germany)  »

Also Known As:

City of War: The Story of John Rabe  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$5,199 (USA) (28 May 2010)

Gross:

$67,255 (USA) (8 October 2010)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally planned with Ulrich Mühe in the title role. See more »

Goofs

There is a scene where Dr. Rosen and John Rabe are drinking together and then join in a duet of "Hitler. He only had one ......". This was set just before Xmas 1937. The song is not believed to have been written until 1939. (Autobiography Fringe Benefits, by writer Donough O'Brien where he says that the original was written in August 1939 by his father, Toby O'Brien) See more »

Quotes

Colonel Nakajima Kesago: He disobeyed the rules by not staying in the car.
John Rabe: He didn't stay in the car? His head was cut off!
Colonel Nakajima Kesago: It was an honorable death. A contest between two officers. Very popular in Japan.
John Rabe: What contest?
Colonel Nakajima Kesago: Who decapitates the most enemies.
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Everyone should watch this excellent movie.
17 October 2011 | by (China) – See all my reviews

Many people knew about the Holocaust happened in Europe, but so few people knew about the massacre happened in Nanjing - capital city of Republic of China.

This is an excellent movie, too bad, it wasn't shown at many movie theaters in the USA. This could help people to know what the Japanese did to defenseless Chinese people during world war ii. The scenes are shocking and graphic, but that is what the Japanese soldiers did.

Even today, some Japanese still refuse to believe the appalling atrocities. This is an excellent movie for the event. Even though John Rabe was a Nazi member, but what he did he in Nanjing was heroic. He could be given the Nobel peace prize for saving over 20,000 innocent Chinese people.

This film is truly an international collaboration from actors all over the world just like those people who saved so many people in 1937. I highly recommend it.


4 of 5 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
Is it just me? sweetinjury-1
I, as a Japanese person, have the deepest sympathies for the Chinese AKenjiB
I hope friends from western world watch this film completely granwell
Finally!!! Chinese's Oskar Schindler!!! valleyboy12
Would like to hear opinions from Japanese audience who bypassed the ban AquaExecution
Does the Chinese Release on DVD have English Subtitles? r-gordon-7

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