MovieChat Forums > Hei tai yang: Nan Jing da tu sha (1995) Discussion > A bit too much?

A bit too much?

posted 16 years ago by standardbearer
9 replies | jump to latest

Although I thik myself as a raging pacifist,
and I don't think there's any excuse for any war,
but this film is a bit too much.
The anti-war message in this one is said through images and scenes that are so incredibly brutal, and violent, that a live action movie is just not able to bear it. If it would be a comic book, or maybe an animted feature, I might say it's okay, but this film goes way over in wackyness than 'Story of Ricky' (wich is a brilliant gore-comedy)!!!
I know that even worse can happen during any modern war, and that's why I feel pretty bad about that fact I just can't take this movie too seriously.
I think they wanted to show off war, from a civilian point of view, but since all you can see is blood and guts, there's not much to feel, or think about any person, who dies on the screen. In fact, whenever you see someone appear on the screen, who's not a jap soldier, you can be sure, that persons gonna be gutted out/skinned alive/cooked in oil/dismembered/raped, etc in a mere second.
I'd rather see the destructive power of war through a few characters during a whole film, than a gorefest like this. I think Nanking is an important subject, and it would deserve a good movie that is suitable for a wider audince.

[–] slagman5-1 16 years ago

Wait, I thought this was made using stock footage shot by an American missionary in Nanking, meaning this is real, not just comic gorefest?

Anyway, the massacre of Nanking is a real event and it's pretty stupid for you to compare it to a comedy. Pretty insulting actually...

But I guess you can't expect much more from some anti-war peace-nik who watched this thinking it's just some shallow anti-war propaganda film.

[–] iBallantyne 16 years ago

It is indeed insulting to compare this film to a gore-comedy. The Nanjing Massacre happened. The historical pictures and films prove this. The thousands of bodies collected by the individual societies prove this. This film may have been extremely strong, but we must remember that it was even WORSE than the events shown in the film.
May the Rape of Nanjing never been forgotten.

[–] Shawn_1967 16 years ago

A "bit too much"?

There are PLENTY of REAL images of the 'Rape of Nanking' out there,look for yourself to see the horrors that was committed there.

I don't mean your average shootings,we are talking massively brutal killings.These people went out of their way to strike terror in the victims.

Like I said,look it up for yourself,if you have the guts.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] wholovestroma 16 years ago

The Holocaust has enough films on that topic. Time to let the other genocides during that time get some attention.

[–] JNagarya 14 years ago

There are two much better films -- films which show respect for the victims, and those who suffered the horror while saving over 200,000 lives:

"Iris Chang: The Rape of Nanking"

"Nanking," with Woody Harrelson and others.

By contrast, this exploits the horror in effort to shock. See thsoe two films and you'll be shocked without being subjected to an over-the-top effort that actually succeeds in being less shocking than those two films.

This first is especially worthwhile because foremost a tribute to Iris Chang, the person who brought this horror to the attention of a forgetful world. Iris Chang, who is probably another victim of the massacre, is a person who must not be forgot.

That film incorporates clearer footage and photos -- and some more horrific -- than seen in this one. No exploitation is necessary to communicate the actual horror.

The second is about 8 Westerner who saved many lives, and who in at least a few incidents lived shortened lives as result. One of those was a German businessman and Nazi.

[–] teal123 14 years ago

What you don't realize, in your zeal to portray the Japanese people as victims of the evviilllll Americans and their mean bombs, is that it was they, the Japanese people, who sent their sons to war with this "we will rule the world" attitude where all lives other than Japanese lives were worthless and inferior. Look up Unit 731 for instance, what took place there gives Mengele's experiments a run for his money.

Your comparing this film to a gore comedy is disgraceful.

[–] standardbearer 14 years ago

I don't think I tried to portay them this way, in this topic, especially not on the occasion of this movie, that wouldn't make much sense.
I only said, that this movie is an absolutely mindless romp,
where instead of getting introduced to the people of Nanking properly, THEN showing the destruction the japanese soldiers made, in this case shortly after the film begins, hell breaks lose, and it stays that way until the very end.
This is actually the japanese armys point of view.
We only see what they saw.

[–] tomorowzbeterdaydie 12 years ago

as i didn't believed before i don't believe now that this movie is any kind of anti-war . doesn't look so , it's definitelly for making more money why to show everyone how they tortured other guys in war? will it change anything now? it's sad that so much peop;le likes watch gore and violence in their screens