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City of Life and Death

2009 · Movie · R · 132 min · ★ 7.4 · 89% critics

DramaHistoryWar

During a brutal wartime occupation in 1937, a Chinese city falls under invading forces and civilians scramble for safety as violence spreads through streets, prisons, and a fragile refuge zone. The story follows several ordinary people on different sides as they face impossible choices, moral strain, and the fight to stay human amid widespread atrocities.

Also known as Nanking! Nanking! · Nanjing! Nanjing! · Nanking Nanking

IMDb

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Details
Original title
南京!南京!
Years
2009
Release date
2009-04-22
Language
Chinese
Rated
R
Runtime
132 min
Critic score
89/100
TMDB rating
7.4/10 (237 votes)
About

You’ll likely connect with this if you want an unflinching, emotionally heavy war drama that feels observational and reflective rather than heroic; Not for you if you avoid bleak brutality or want lighter WWII fare like Conspiracy.

Pros: powerful, haunting impact; balanced perspective; memorable imagery | Cons: extremely hard to watch; slow, unusual opening; pacing drags later

Themes

  • war crimes
  • mass murder
  • war victim
  • second sino-japanese war (1937-45)
  • massacre
  • japanese army
  • duringcreditsstinger
  • imperial japan
  • nanking massacre china 1937
  • 1930s
  • nanjing
  • japanese occupation of china

Cast & crew

Directed by Lu Chuan