The Flowers of War - Zhang Yimou

I am a fan of Zhang Yimou and have been since I saw Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Curse of the Golden Flower, and even the opening ceremonies to the 2008 Olympics.  If you keep reading this blog you will read more about his work. I grew up in Japan and I'm not sure when I started getting interested in Chinese films butI know that I fell for Gong Li. I thought she was beautiful and the stories and films I saw her in were so interesting. Maybe it is the whole Imperial China aspect, or the Communist Revolution that interested me - but there are some great films out there.

Then there are films like The Flowers of War. Unlike a lot of Yimou's films, this one takes place during World War II. It takes place in Nanjing and it is a gorgeous and very difficult film to watch. I know about the atrocities that took place at the hands of the Japanese, yet seeing them on film is much more difficult. The story of The Flowers of War is about a group of school girls who seek sanctuary at a walled cathedral. The priest has gone, or is dead and an American (played by Christian Bale) takes over and impersonates him. The school girls seek sanctuary, and soon there is a group of prostitutes also seeking sanctuary at the same church. Immediately there are conflicts between the two groups. When the Japanese come further into Nanjing, they also want access to the church - even though it has been claimed as a Red Cross safehouse. What happens next is something you'll have to watch to find out. It is beautiful and moving.  To make it all the more moving, it is based on a true story.

The cast is great - all the girls and the prostitutes are spot on. Some of the actors are very brave in playing some of the parts as they are abused and raped. There are some gorgeous moments of the women dancing and thinking of the good times. Yimou knows how to tell a story so well, both visually and with dialogue, etc. Simply wonderful.

(photos found online)