The Flowers of War

A movie about the Rape of Nanking using an American male as the central character. He ends up being put into a position where he tries to protect some young girls and some prostitutes from the Japanese soldiers. There's also a number of extras on the disc.

The specific movie is fictional but it represents the types of things that happened in Nanking. I'll only use a few scans and then give my review of the movie.

A bunch of young girls head for the church. A wagon loaded with prostitutes passes them by.

An American also trying to find shelter.

The church where they are going to try to take refuge.

The Japanese soldiers are shown as ruthless butchers of people. A very small group of Chinese soldiers ambushes a Japanese group that is chasing a group of young girls. An American mortician was there to bury the priest of the church but the priest was blown to bits by a bomb.

At first the American is centered only on money but he changes as the story goes on. Then the prostitutes show up also looking for refuge. Matters get complicated when a Chinese soldier brings his badly injured friend with him into the church.

The American dresses up as a priest and the soldier gets ready to leave, telling one of the prostitutes that she can't let the Japanese soldiers get their hands on the young girls. Later a bunch of Japanese soldiers arrive. They soldiers are shown with demonic looks on their faces as they catch the girls and start to rape them.

Later a Japanese officer talks to the American (who he thinks is a priest) and says the girls won't be hurt any more. Much later the prostitutes think of a way to protect the girls.

This is an extremely emotional film, especially the latter third. It gives the Nanking Massacre a very personal touch and for many it will be hard not to cry during the film. The types of things that were done in Nanking can never be allowed to be done by anyone to anyone ever again if there is any chance of calling the human race civilized.



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