Nanjing City is the set, and Zhang Jingchu is the seasoning

Trycia 2022-04-19 09:02:49

If not with "Nanjing! Nanjing! "Inadvertently" bundled propaganda, I don't think I've watched "Nanjing!" Nanjing! "After that, I couldn't wait to pay to go to the cinema to watch this "Rabe Diary". I think a lot of people will watch it because of the same thoughts as me, and then compare the two movies. Now, I can talk about how I feel.

First off, these are two too many different movies. For example, tennis is tennis, table tennis is table tennis, but everyone knows how different a game is when people put tennis on the table. "Rabe's Diary" and "Nanjing! Nanjing! "The difference may be greater than the difference between table tennis and tennis. "Rabe's Diary" depicts the story of the characters, and the city of Nanjing is just the background of the story. In the whole movie, apart from Lang Shu, played by Zhang Jingchu, the only Chinese people you can leave an impression on are Rabe's driver whose head was later beheaded. Let's just say, move the story to the Philippines or even France, and it's still a touching story about the great humanitarian appeal of a "savior." The main positive characters are all foreigners, and the negative Japanese characters impress the audience much more than the Chinese, and the main Chinese character Lang Shu is just a failure of this film.

Let's put it this way, for an American audience, for example, it makes no difference whether the story takes place in Nanjing or Manila, whether the invaders are Japanese or Germans, and it doesn't affect them being moved by the brilliant humanity of a great savior. In this movie, you can even feel a kind of warmth from time to time. Against the background of the war, this kind of warmth and humanity shows an artistic effect.

And "Nanjing! Nanjing! "The theme of the performance is a tragic history between China and Japan. All the characters are set up to show and highlight the disaster. That is to say, the background in "Rabe's Diary" is in "Nanjing!" Nanjing! ” became the theme to be expressed, while Rabe himself became a material to show the history of the massacre.

In this sense, it can be said that "Rabe's Diary" and "Nanjing! Nanjing! ” is the opposite of each other.

Therefore, "The Diary of Rabe" is more like a Hollywood-style drama, it can inspire you to move and feel, but it never asks or thinks. The warm petty bourgeoisie is easier to find resonance in "Rabe's Diary".

But "Nanjing! Nanjing! 》 is not replaceable. Its oppression, tragic, cruelty and pain are perceived, recognized and conveyed to the world through the flesh and blood of Chinese people. Repeat before I was in "Nanjing! Nanjing! "The point of view in the comment: In the face of the bloody massacre, it would be too frivolous to only talk about universal human nature. "Nanjing! Nanjing! "Deeply explores the misery of our nation and Japan, which has brought us disaster, and the collision of cultures between the two in the war. "Nanjing! Nanjing! " is not about the common brilliance of humanity, but about the perpetrators and victims determined and shaped by the two cultures.

In short, for those who like warmth and humanity and the usual plot stories, you will definitely not complain that the clues of "Rabe Diary" are scattered, its shots are not shaken, there is no nudity and rape, and it is colored.

But at the same time, it will not give you so many tears, pain and shock, such a strong emotional and visual and auditory impact. Firmness, fraternity, humor, loyalty... These excellent qualities are all manifested in Rabe and several foreigners (even a young Japanese officer), while Zhang Jingchu's Langshu, a Chinese female college student who is in love with spring (inexplicably opposed to Rosen fell in love at first sight), a blunt character added indiscriminately to avoid the absence of the Chinese, a completely superfluous condiment. The loyal love between Rabe and his wife has a historical basis there, and it has enough flavor. Zhang Jingchu is like the garlic cloves that he has to add after the chives are cooked, which is very unappetizing.

Those who couldn't bear Lu Chuan should be able to bear Zhang Jingchu. But in my opinion, I still don't have to endure it, why bother? (double soul)

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Extended Reading
  • Libby 2022-03-19 09:01:09

    The story of Rabe, known as "Orient Schindler". It feels that the filming was average, not too shocking, and the intensity was not enough. The focus of the film was on Rabe, so the Nanjing Massacre itself did not render too much, but overall it is better than "Nanjing! Nanjing! "Much stronger. If you dare to take such a film, Kagawa Teruyuki deserves respect.

  • Allan 2022-01-22 08:03:47

    There is a German who came to China for the lives of hundreds of thousands of Chinese people. We should remember him.

John Rabe quotes

  • John Rabe: Chang, what's the point in you having a head?

    Chang: So that it not rain into my neck.

    John Rabe: Quite right.

  • Dr. Robert Wilson: I don't like Nazis.

    Valérie Dupres: He isn't a Nazi.

    Dr. Robert Wilson: Yes he is.

    Valérie Dupres: He's just a member of the party.

    Dr. Robert Wilson: Which makes him a Nazi.

    Valérie Dupres: Are you a member of the church?

    Dr. Robert Wilson: Yeah, so what?

    Valérie Dupres: What do you think of witch burning?

    Dr. Robert Wilson: Ah, well, looking at you, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea.