【电影简介】

1937年，日军入侵南京，战火中，六朝古都化为废墟，众多中国军民被困城中。一支十数人的国军德械教导队余部在长官李教官（佟大为饰）指挥下，从日军手中救出了一批教会学校女学生，而李教官等人，至此丧失了出城的机会。幸免于难的书娟（张歆怡饰）等学生返回文彻斯特教堂，随她们一 起来到的，还有受雇远道至此收敛神父遗体的美国人约翰·米勒（克里斯蒂安·贝尔饰）。此时的南京城中，逃难的人们蜂拥进安全区和教堂寻找庇护，十四名风尘女子强行进入教堂避难，其中精通英语的玉墨（倪妮饰）希望借助约翰的身份为一行人提供更多保护。教堂的墙壁，并不能阻挡日军的铁蹄，教堂内的人们，将面临孰生孰死的选择。

【音频文本】

As China marks the 74th anniversary of Nanjing Massacre this year, Zhang Yimou presents his first war film"The Flowers of War." The celebrated director likely tried to do his best with the film, but I think he failed.

The film is adapted from the novel "The 13 Women of Nanjing" by Chinese-American writer Yan Geling. It is about a group of refugees who take sanctuary in a church compound and struggle to survive as Japanese soldiers wreck havoc in the city. The contrast between a dozen prostitutes and convent schoolgirls provides a source for drama.

Zhang, who was once a cinematographer and director of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, impresses audiences with his camera in this piece, although the frequent use of slow-motion shots does seem a little excessive. You may also find a typical abundance of colors, which according to Zhang himself, is a reference to human goodness amid the gloomy and dire surroundings.

Zhang has said the focus of the film is not the brutality of war, but the spark of humanity. Yet the fact is, I found myself suffocated by intense pressure throughout the film and was not convinced that the storyline was fully developed. The director goes to considerable lengths to depict the cruelty of the invaders,but neglects the development of the main characters.

For example, the greedy mortician John, played by lead actor Christian Bale, goes to the church, drinks, flirts with women and falls sleep. The next morning when he is awakened by howling Japanese soldiers, he turns into the compassionate and righteous Father John! The change is completed overnight with the help of some alcohol, blood and nice clerical clothing. Can you believe it?

But perhaps the film's biggest shortcoming is the relationship between the prostitutes and the schoolgirls.First, the scene marking their disagreement is interrupted by intruders and bloodshed. It is one of the reminders of all the terrible things going on outside the church, which the film keeps repeating. Then before the prostitutes decide to sacrifice themselves to save the girls, the film fails to explain how their reconciliation came about. The result is that the dramatic effects on viewers are generated by the war scenes, while humanity, the director's focus, scores nothing.

This is why the storyline is not fully developed but instead overwhelmed by Zhang's newfound interest in war films. Certainly, viewers can always supply the missing logic by exercising their brains a little, but on the part of the director, I would say it's just sloppiness.

Last but not the least, I am being not particularly picky about Zhang himself, but when it comes to a director as famous as Zhang Yimou, viewers are bound to expect something outstanding. But, clearly, this time,he has taken the easy way out and tried to induce viewers' sympathy with blood and death instead of humanity.

On a scale from one to 10, I give this one a 6.5.

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