HKG > PVG

Heading to Shanghai for a couple of days. Hopefully a bit of sightseeing, a bit of researching and definitely a bit of partying might be a great way to end my summer long trip.For those who read my blog, thanks for the support! Be back on Monday but expect mass blog updates on Tuesday. I’m taking a shit load of pics for your liking

‘The Rape Of Nanking’ movie?

I ran into this via Shanghaiist :

A film about the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, based on the late Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanking, is going to be made this coming year, with expected release dates in China of late 2007 and 2008 worldwide.

Sorry I’m about to get political..

I’m definitely all for awareness of what actually happened in Nanking during the Japanese WWII invasion BUT I’m extremely worried about how this will turn out. I wouldn’t even dare to make this event into a movie.

If the film does any justice to the book and what ACTUALLY happened during the Massacre, it’ll probably be the most gory, most violent, most disgusting film ever produced. Hands down. I’ve seen really powerful, moving, heart-braking war films but if this event is eventually put to screen, this would probably trump them all. It’s probably because it’s so close to home (me being Chinese).

After reading the book myself (though not having to finish it because it was too distrubing), I thought if I would be able to make a movie about the Massacre. Easily, no matter how much someone would pay me to direct the film, be it like 10 million or whatever, I honestly would say I wouldn’t be able to do it (seriously). To me, its just a way too sensitive and a heart-wrenching subject to be put on screen. For thousands tortured, raped and killed (est 300,000 in 3 months), I don’t think I can do justice to the victims. I think the content and the pure vividness of the book written by Chang (who committed suicide) was too graphic and too much for any reader.

I admire the balls on whoever is directing this film but it better be damn good, it better be sensitive to the victims and it better have a great angle on the story. I honestly wouldn’t even know how they can make a story out of it.

I think its good to promote awareness for the event but as some Chinese, there are still some built up tension towards the Japanese. Making this film will only make things worse. Riots and boycotts over the Japanese occured 2 years ago (?) when it was learned that the Japanese were altering and neglecting parts of WWII. This included the specific events of Nanjing. As well, the current Japanese PM continue to mourn the war criminals, some of whom were part of this event. Imagine if this film gets produced and viewed. The last thing anyone wants is excessive nationalism  in China, a reminder of what happened and resulting hatred toward the Japanese.

I’m not saying let’s forget about the event but I wish there was a better way to aware people of what happened and I don’t know if a film is the best way to do it. Let’s hope to God the studio whoever is producing it isn’t looking solely for financial purposes.

If it were up to me, I’d rather not have the film produced. If and/or when the film comes out, I don’t think I will be able to watch it unless the angle of the film is different from the one of the book. The book and the real photos of what happened were already too graphic/vivid enough for me.

If you want to learn more about the Nanjing Massacre, click here.

Side note:

I do not hold any hate or anger towards the Japanese because the WW2 masscre in Nanjing. I believe it is completely wrong that a lot of Chinese have blamed the Japanese people and believed all the Japanese people during that time should be responsible for the event.

The only ones who should be responsible are the ones who tortured, raped and killed the victims of the Nanjing Massacre- The Japanese army who performed the killings, the government who were aware of what was happening at the time and the supervisors who allowed the army to willingly take the lives of hundreds of thousands of victims.