The atrocities committed in Nanking, the capital of China, by the Japanese in 1937 and 1938 during the Second Sino-Japanese War is a source of anger and resentment today.
All kinds of torture were visited upon the residents, including live burials, mutilation, "death by fire", "death by ice", and "death by dogs". A survivor testifies to a killing contest amongst a group of Japanese soldiers to determine who could kill the fastest. The rape that occurred during the massacre was one of the greatest mass rapes in world history. It is estimated that the number of women raped ranged from 20,000 to as many as 80,000, and women from all classes were raped, including Buddhist nuns. Furthermore, rape occurred in all locations and at all hours, and both very young and very old women were raped. Not even pregnant women were spared. It wasn't limited to women as some men were forced to commit incest—fathers to rape their own daughters, brothers their sisters, sons their mothers.
Writer-director Chuan Lu and cinematographer Yu Cao joined to present a film that was stunning and mesmerizing. They say that war is hell, and they were certainly describing what went on here. One does not have to understand a word of Japanese or Chinese to follow what is going on.
The pain was more than evident and the horror is indescribable.
All kinds of torture were visited upon the residents, including live burials, mutilation, "death by fire", "death by ice", and "death by dogs". A survivor testifies to a killing contest amongst a group of Japanese soldiers to determine who could kill the fastest. The rape that occurred during the massacre was one of the greatest mass rapes in world history. It is estimated that the number of women raped ranged from 20,000 to as many as 80,000, and women from all classes were raped, including Buddhist nuns. Furthermore, rape occurred in all locations and at all hours, and both very young and very old women were raped. Not even pregnant women were spared. It wasn't limited to women as some men were forced to commit incest—fathers to rape their own daughters, brothers their sisters, sons their mothers.
Writer-director Chuan Lu and cinematographer Yu Cao joined to present a film that was stunning and mesmerizing. They say that war is hell, and they were certainly describing what went on here. One does not have to understand a word of Japanese or Chinese to follow what is going on.
The pain was more than evident and the horror is indescribable.