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Nanking (film)
Encyclopedia
Nanking is a 2007 film
about the 1937 Nanking Massacre
committed by the Japanese army in the former capital city Nanjing
, China
. The film draws on letters and diaries from the era as well as archive footage and interviews with surviving victims and perpetrators of the massacre. Contemporary actors play the roles of the Western missionaries, professors, and businessmen who formed the Nanking Safety Zone
to protect the city's civilians from Japanese
forces. Particular attention is paid to John Rabe
, a German
businessman who organized the Nanking Safety Zone, Robert O. Wilson
, a surgeon who remained in Nanking to care for legions of victims, and Minnie Vautrin
, a missionary educator who rendered aid to thousands of Nanking's women.
The film uses the older romanization
of the city's name, "Nanking
", for its title. This choice was likely made to maintain continuity between the film and texts from the era. The standard modern romanization in mainland China, Hanyu Pinyin
, renders the city's name as "Nanjing" .
occupied Nanking and killed over 200,000 and raped tens of thousands of Chinese
people, one of human history's worst atrocities. In order to protect Chinese civilians, a small group of Europe
an and American
expatriates, Western missionaries, professors, and businessmen banded together to save 250,000, risking their own lives.
The film describes the Nanking Massacre by reading from letters and diaries which shows the activities of John Rabe
(Jürgen Prochnow
), a German businessman, Robert O. Wilson
(Woody Harrelson
), the only surgeon remaining to care for legions of victims, and Minnie Vautrin
(Mariel Hemingway
), an educator who passionately defends the lives and honor of Nanking's women during the war time.
The film includes survivors who tell their own stories, the archival footage of the events, and the testimonies of Japanese soldiers who participated in the rampage.
Vice-Chairman Ted Leonsis
. While on vacation during the Christmas of 2005 in St. Bart's, Leonsis read The Rape of Nanking
after seeing the obituary for the book's author, Iris Chang
. The book inspired Leonsis to research the massacre further and eventually led to his creation of the film project.
Leonsis had expressed his desire for the film to be released theatrically, as well as on DVD
, television, and cable
. He hopes to use local DVD sales as an advertising platform for businesses that want to break into the Chinese market. He also expressed interest in making the film available for free online, saying "We'll get a sponsor", "I'm not worried about piracy. I want people to share the movie."
that says that the "beautifully crafted film...honors the highest calling of documentary filmmaking." It was accepted to the Sundance Film Festival
in January, 2007 and nominated for the Grand Jury Prize (Documentary); the film was awarded honors for Documentary Editing. In 2008, this documentary was awarded the Peabody Award
. Japanese right-wing nationalist filmmaker Satoru Mizushima
called the film a "setup by China to control intelligence," and plans to release his own documentary, The Truth about Nanjing
, in which the massacre is portrayed as merely political propaganda. On his blog, Nanking producer Ted Leonsis
responded by saying: "Our film isn't an anti-Japanese film. It is an anti-war film."
In July 2007, the film premiered in Beijing
and opened in China
. According to BBC News
, it is unlikely that the film will ever be shown in Japan.
On November 19, 2007, Nanking was named by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
as one of 15 films on its documentary feature Oscar shortlist. It was not retained when the list was narrowed to the final five nominations.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
about the 1937 Nanking Massacre
Nanking Massacre
The Nanking Massacre or Nanjing Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking, was a mass murder, genocide and war rape that occurred during the six-week period following the Japanese capture of the city of Nanjing , the former capital of the Republic of China, on December 13, 1937 during the Second...
committed by the Japanese army in the former capital city Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The film draws on letters and diaries from the era as well as archive footage and interviews with surviving victims and perpetrators of the massacre. Contemporary actors play the roles of the Western missionaries, professors, and businessmen who formed the Nanking Safety Zone
Nanking Safety Zone
The Nanking Safety Zone was a demilitarized zone for Chinese civilians set up on the eve of the Japanese breakthrough in the Battle of Nanking...
to protect the city's civilians from Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
forces. Particular attention is paid to John Rabe
John Rabe
John Rabe was a German businessman who is best known for his efforts to stop the atrocities of the Japanese army during the Nanking Occupation and his work to protect and help the Chinese civilians during the event...
, a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
businessman who organized the Nanking Safety Zone, Robert O. Wilson
Robert O. Wilson
Robert O. Wilson, MD was an American physician born to Protestant missionaries Wilbur F. Wilson and Mary Rowley Wilson. Wilson attended Princeton University and subsequently obtained his medical training at Harvard Medical School, graduating in 1929. He returned to Nanjing in 1936, where he...
, a surgeon who remained in Nanking to care for legions of victims, and Minnie Vautrin
Minnie Vautrin
Wilhelmina Vautrin was an American missionary renowned for saving the lives of many women at the Ginling Girls College in Nanjing, China, during the Nanking Massacre.- Biography :...
, a missionary educator who rendered aid to thousands of Nanking's women.
The film uses the older romanization
Romanization
In linguistics, romanization or latinization is the representation of a written word or spoken speech with the Roman script, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language uses a different writing system . Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written...
of the city's name, "Nanking
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
", for its title. This choice was likely made to maintain continuity between the film and texts from the era. The standard modern romanization in mainland China, Hanyu Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
, renders the city's name as "Nanjing" .
Plot
In the winter of 1937, the Japanese armyImperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
occupied Nanking and killed over 200,000 and raped tens of thousands of Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
people, one of human history's worst atrocities. In order to protect Chinese civilians, a small group of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
expatriates, Western missionaries, professors, and businessmen banded together to save 250,000, risking their own lives.
The film describes the Nanking Massacre by reading from letters and diaries which shows the activities of John Rabe
John Rabe
John Rabe was a German businessman who is best known for his efforts to stop the atrocities of the Japanese army during the Nanking Occupation and his work to protect and help the Chinese civilians during the event...
(Jürgen Prochnow
Jürgen Prochnow
Jürgen Prochnow is a German actor. His most well-known roles internationally have been as the sympathetic submarine captain in Das Boot , Duke Leto Atreides I in Dune , the minor, but important role of Neo-Stalinist dictator General Ivan Radek in Air Force One and the villain Maxwell Dent in...
), a German businessman, Robert O. Wilson
Robert O. Wilson
Robert O. Wilson, MD was an American physician born to Protestant missionaries Wilbur F. Wilson and Mary Rowley Wilson. Wilson attended Princeton University and subsequently obtained his medical training at Harvard Medical School, graduating in 1929. He returned to Nanjing in 1936, where he...
(Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson
Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
), the only surgeon remaining to care for legions of victims, and Minnie Vautrin
Minnie Vautrin
Wilhelmina Vautrin was an American missionary renowned for saving the lives of many women at the Ginling Girls College in Nanjing, China, during the Nanking Massacre.- Biography :...
(Mariel Hemingway
Mariel Hemingway
- Early life :Hemingway was born in Mill Valley, California, the third daughter of Byra Louise Hemingway and Jack Hemingway, a writer. Her sisters are Joan Hemingway and Margaux Hemingway...
), an educator who passionately defends the lives and honor of Nanking's women during the war time.
The film includes survivors who tell their own stories, the archival footage of the events, and the testimonies of Japanese soldiers who participated in the rampage.
Cast
- Hugo Armstrong - John Magee
- Rosalind ChaoRosalind ChaoRosalind Chao is a Chinese American actress. Chao's most prolific roles have been as a star of CBS' AfterMASH portraying South Korean refugee Soon-Lee Klinger for both seasons, and the recurring character Keiko O'Brien with 27 appearances on the syndicated science fiction series Star Trek: The...
- Chang Yu Zheng - Stephen DorffStephen DorffStephen Dorff is an American actor, best known for portraying Stuart Sutcliffe in Backbeat, Johnny Marco in Somewhere, and for his roles in Blade and Cecil B. DeMented.-Early life:...
- Lewis Smythe - John GetzJohn Getz-Personal life:Getz, one of four children, was born in Davenport, Iowa, and grew up in the Mississippi River Valley. He began acting while attending the University of Iowa, where he helped found the Center for New Performing Arts...
- George Ashmore FitchGeorge Ashmore FitchGeorge Ashmore Fitch was an American Protestant missionary in China, the Young Men's Christian Association, Nanking Safety Zone International Committee Administrative Director, and the grandfather of politician George B. Fitch.... - Woody HarrelsonWoody HarrelsonWoodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
- Bob WilsonRobert O. WilsonRobert O. Wilson, MD was an American physician born to Protestant missionaries Wilbur F. Wilson and Mary Rowley Wilson. Wilson attended Princeton University and subsequently obtained his medical training at Harvard Medical School, graduating in 1929. He returned to Nanjing in 1936, where he... - Mariel HemingwayMariel Hemingway- Early life :Hemingway was born in Mill Valley, California, the third daughter of Byra Louise Hemingway and Jack Hemingway, a writer. Her sisters are Joan Hemingway and Margaux Hemingway...
- Minnie VautrinMinnie VautrinWilhelmina Vautrin was an American missionary renowned for saving the lives of many women at the Ginling Girls College in Nanjing, China, during the Nanking Massacre.- Biography :... - Michelle KrusiecMichelle KrusiecMichelle J. Krusiec born October 2, 1974 in Fallon, Nevada, is an American actress of Taiwanese ancestry.Krusiec was recruited to be one of six globe-trotting travel reporters for the Discovery Channel new series called Travelers...
- Yang Shu Ling - Leah Liang Lewis (as Leah Liang) - Banner GirlYang HuiminYang Huimin was a Girl Guide during the 1937 battle of Shanghai who supplied a Republic of China flag and brought supplies to besieged defenders of the Sihang Warehouse...
- Chris MulkeyChris MulkeyChris Mulkey is an American actor who most recently appeared in Against the Wall, Cloverfield, the NBC TV movie Knight Rider, and as a corporate executive in season 7 of 24...
- Mills McCallum - Jürgen ProchnowJürgen ProchnowJürgen Prochnow is a German actor. His most well-known roles internationally have been as the sympathetic submarine captain in Das Boot , Duke Leto Atreides I in Dune , the minor, but important role of Neo-Stalinist dictator General Ivan Radek in Air Force One and the villain Maxwell Dent in...
- John RabeJohn RabeJohn Rabe was a German businessman who is best known for his efforts to stop the atrocities of the Japanese army during the Nanking Occupation and his work to protect and help the Chinese civilians during the event... - Sonny Saito - Higashi Sakai
- Graham Sibley - Miner Searle BatesMiner Searle BatesMiner Searle Bates was educated at numerous, prestigious institutions such as the University of Oxford, Yale University, and Hiram College...
- Mark ValleyMark ValleyMark Thomas Valley is an American film and television actor, known for his role as Brad Chase on the TV drama Boston Legal and Christopher Chance in Fox's action/drama Human Target.-Personal life:...
- Stage Manager - Robert Wu - Li Pu
Production
The film was conceptualized and funded by AOLAOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
Vice-Chairman Ted Leonsis
Ted Leonsis
Theodore John Leonsis is an Internet pioneer, sports team owner, venture capital investor, filmmaker, author and philanthropist. His early new media company, Redgate Communications was acquired by America Online in 1994, and Leonsis became a senior AOL executive for the next 13 years...
. While on vacation during the Christmas of 2005 in St. Bart's, Leonsis read The Rape of Nanking
The Rape of Nanking (book)
The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II is a bestselling 1997 non-fiction book written by Iris Chang about the 1937–1938 Nanking Massacre, the massacre and atrocities committed by the Imperial Japanese Army after it captured Nanjing, then capital of China, during the Second...
after seeing the obituary for the book's author, Iris Chang
Iris Chang
Iris Shun-Ru Chang was an American historian and journalist. She is best known for her best-selling 1997 account of the Nanking Massacre, The Rape of Nanking. She committed suicide on November 9, 2004...
. The book inspired Leonsis to research the massacre further and eventually led to his creation of the film project.
Leonsis had expressed his desire for the film to be released theatrically, as well as on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, television, and cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
. He hopes to use local DVD sales as an advertising platform for businesses that want to break into the Chinese market. He also expressed interest in making the film available for free online, saying "We'll get a sponsor", "I'm not worried about piracy. I want people to share the movie."
Release and reaction
Nanking has received numerous positive reviews, including one from ReutersReuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
that says that the "beautifully crafted film...honors the highest calling of documentary filmmaking." It was accepted to the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in January, 2007 and nominated for the Grand Jury Prize (Documentary); the film was awarded honors for Documentary Editing. In 2008, this documentary was awarded the Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
. Japanese right-wing nationalist filmmaker Satoru Mizushima
Satoru Mizushima
is a Japanese right-wing nationalist film maker. He graduated from Waseda University majoring in German literature. He is also the main host of the nationalist and right-wing Japanese media organization, Channel Sakura, which maintains an active YouTube broadcasting account "SakuraSoTV." He can...
called the film a "setup by China to control intelligence," and plans to release his own documentary, The Truth about Nanjing
The Truth about Nanjing
is a forthcoming film by Japanese filmmaker about the 1937 Nanking Massacre.The film, backed by nationalistic figures including Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara and public donation, is intended to expose alleged propaganda aspects of the Nanking Massacre...
, in which the massacre is portrayed as merely political propaganda. On his blog, Nanking producer Ted Leonsis
Ted Leonsis
Theodore John Leonsis is an Internet pioneer, sports team owner, venture capital investor, filmmaker, author and philanthropist. His early new media company, Redgate Communications was acquired by America Online in 1994, and Leonsis became a senior AOL executive for the next 13 years...
responded by saying: "Our film isn't an anti-Japanese film. It is an anti-war film."
In July 2007, the film premiered in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and opened in China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. According to BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, it is unlikely that the film will ever be shown in Japan.
On November 19, 2007, Nanking was named by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
as one of 15 films on its documentary feature Oscar shortlist. It was not retained when the list was narrowed to the final five nominations.
See also
- Shiro AzumaShiro Azumawas a Japanese soldier who openly admitted his participation in Japanese war crimes against the Chinese during the Second World War. He was one of the few former soldiers of the Empire of Japan to admit to his participation in the 1937 Nanking Massacre...
- Japanese war crimesJapanese war crimesJapanese war crimes occurred during the period of Japanese imperialism, primarily during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. Some of the incidents have also been described as an Asian Holocaust and Japanese war atrocities...
- The Truth about NanjingThe Truth about Nanjingis a forthcoming film by Japanese filmmaker about the 1937 Nanking Massacre.The film, backed by nationalistic figures including Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara and public donation, is intended to expose alleged propaganda aspects of the Nanking Massacre...
- Don't Cry, NankingDon't Cry, NankingDon't Cry, Nanking, also known as Nanjing 1937 , is a 1995 Chinese film about the 1937 Nanking Massacre committed by the Imperial Japanese Army in the former capital city Nanjing, China.-Plot:...
- City of Life and Death
- Tokyo TrialTokyo Trial (film)-Story:This film was directed by Gao Qunshu and is about the International Military Tribunal for the Far East after Japan surrendered after World War II. The movie presents the Trial from the point of view of the Chinese judge Mei Ju-ao....
External links
- Nanking official website
- Nanking at Hulu.com
- Nanking at Sundance.org
- Nanking, reviewed in Willamette Week By N.P. Thompson
- "Hollywood Takes On Japan's 1937 Invasion of China" NPR Story about Nanking's release in China
- A Winter in China Novelisation of the International Security Zone during the Nanking Massacre.