Rape of Nanking video

[Big B]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

Letters from Okinawa is the companion to Flags of Our Fathers, and is told entirely from the Japanese point of view.

From the Japanese point of view - you mean looking down the nozzles of flame throwers?

[Nikademus]

http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/

(Japanese react to Eastwood Film)

For those not sure what i referred too, Clint just released a companion movie to "Flag of our Fathers", called "Letters from Iwo Jima" Its unique in that an American director has created a war movie as seen from the Japanese side. It has been showing in Japan and received alot of press and critical praise.

[DuckofTindalos]

Wow, I really AM getting Nikademus Disease. Couldn't remember that it was Iwo Jima and not Okinawa...

[Nikademus]

It looks very interesting. Even GF unit is interested...and since it's in Japanese and captioned....GF unit and I could go to the theatre for once instead of waiting for DVD. (Her hearing makes theatre going a lost cause)

[DuckofTindalos]

I just turned off the Nanking video. It got really tiresome when the narrator commented about the hysterically laughing Japanese soldiers for the third time...[8|]

[Big B]

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

It looks very interesting. Even GF unit is interested...and since it's in Japanese and captioned....GF unit and I could go to the theatre for once instead of waiting for DVD. (Her hearing makes theatre going a lost cause)

Maybe I'll see it and 'Flags' someday, but I am really unimpressed with the Hollywood - ever since they discovered special effects, they decided to pay for them by ignoring the 'story' and assuming the audience has a collective IQ of 31(they must look around the room at their board meetings and figure they are just like everyone else), and they assume no-one has any knowledge of history (they may be correct on the last point - and they aren't about to change it).

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

I just turned off the Nanking video. It got really tiresome when the narrator commented about the hysterically laughing Japanese soldiers for the third time...[8|]

Well consider the source......

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: Big B

Maybe I'll see it and 'Flags' someday, but I am really unimpressed with the Hollywood - ever since they discovered special effects, they decided to pay for them by ignoring the 'story' and assuming the audience has a collective IQ of 31(they must look around the room at their board meetings and figure they are just like everyone else), and they assume no-one has any knowledge of history (they may be correct on the last point - and they aren't about to change it).

I don't think anyone who has seen Clint Eastwood's recent stint of directed movies would ever accuse him of using special effects in place of a plot. (note the italicized words for those who'll want to post pictures of Dirty Harry and his 44 Mangnum) [:'(]

[DuckofTindalos]

There's a reason Clint Eastwood has won so much praise as a director. He's immensely talented...

[DuckofTindalos]

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

ORIGINAL: Terminus

I just turned off the Nanking video. It got really tiresome when the narrator commented about the hysterically laughing Japanese soldiers for the third time...[8|]

Well consider the source......

The dubbed-on screaming also got boring...

[Nikademus]

oh brother....i think i'll just stick to the book as well as a recent purchase on China during the whole period of the Sino-Japanese conflict.

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

There's a reason Clint Eastwood has won so much praise as a director. He's immensely talented...

Yup.

[DuckofTindalos]

The video also claims that the Chinese never invaded a foreign country before they were attacked by the Japanese. This is blatantly incorrect; Tibet and Mongolia were among the places to feel the military attention of the Qing dynasty in the 1700's.

It really is a very amateurish piece of work...

[Demosthenes]

There is no doubt about the films' propagandistic appearance - complete with film of other aircraft at other times.... but this beleaguers the point.

There is far more than enough real film - shot by the Japanese themselves - of the unimaginable horror that is being committed in front of you - to not have to dwell on the inaccuracies in the film such as Spitfires flying, or Japanese planes being shot down at sea.

I suppose it's good that the human mind rejects the subject matter of the documentary so much - that we want to look away and laugh at the film - punish the film for punishing us with a look at hell right here on earth. Yes, that is all good - but let's not forget the bigger truth the film is saying, and not dismiss it all because of it's crude style

[spence]

     I got the impression that the film was made in China though that may just be because another version of the film, apparently in Chinese, was on the same Google video page.  I found the dubbed screaming and the repetitious photos a bit tiresome but I'd guess not nearly so much as those that endured the Japanese rampage found the real thing.   

[Big B]

ORIGINAL: Demosthenes


There is no doubt about the films' propagandistic appearance - complete with film of other aircraft at other times.... but this beleaguers the point.

There is far more than enough real film - shot by the Japanese themselves - of the unimaginable horror that is being committed in front of you - to not have to dwell on the inaccuracies in the film such as Spitfires flying, or Japanese planes being shot down at sea.

I suppose it's good that the human mind rejects the subject matter of the documentary so much - that we want to look away and laugh at the film - punish the film for punishing us with a look at hell right here on earth. Yes, that is all good - but let's not forget the bigger truth the film is saying, and not dismiss it all because of it's crude style

ORIGINAL: spence

I got the impression that the film was made in China though that may just be because another version of the film, apparently in Chinese, was on the same Google video page. I found the dubbed screaming and the repetitious photos a bit tiresome but I'd guess not nearly so much as those that endured the Japanese rampage found the real thing.

Well said

[wild_Willie2]

I also must agree with Terminus that the movie has a BIG propaganda load, and is pretty much one sided. Although it is true that the Japs commited atrocities on a grand scale in China and in their other "liberated" territories, I dont think this movie gives a good historicall account of them.
 
Maybe next time they should try to make a movie with less screaming and some more hard facts....    

[Demosthenes]

ORIGINAL: wild_Willie2

I also must agree with Terminus that the movie has a BIG propaganda load, and is pretty much one sided. Although it is true that the Japs commited atrocities on a grand scale in China and in their other "liberated" territories, I dont think this movie gives a good historicall account of them.

Maybe next time they should try to make a movie with less screaming and some more hard facts....

Well, I have trouble with calling the film propaganda, because that suggests the film is lying to us - decieving us into believing something that is not true. This did very much happen, and not just in Nanking, read about the liberation of Manila in 1945, or just about anywhere else the Japanese went during those years.
As for hard facts, I don't know what more you want - you're seeing with your own eyes (that is if you watched the entire 1hr 17min).. or is it more believable if someone writes it down for you in their book?

[Nikademus]

Yep...sounds like a propaganda film to me given Terminus's description. Like i said, I'll stick to the book by Iris Chang and i recommend it highly to anyone who has a real interest in the Rape of Nanking.

[Demosthenes]

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

Yep...sounds like a propaganda film to me given Terminus's description. Like i said, I'll stick to the book by Iris Chang and i recommend it highly to anyone who has a real interest in the Rape of Nanking.

Can yo please define 'propaganda' in this case?