Experience
a tragic story of love and war from internationally celebrated director
Zhang Yimou staring Academy Award® winner Christian Bale in
Synopsis:
Celebrate an inspiring story of wartime heroism as Lionsgate releases The Flowers of War on Blu-ray Disc, DVD, Digital Download and On Demand. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Yimou Zhang (Hero, House of Flying Daggers) and based on the novel by Japanese author Yan Geling, the film was nominated for a Golden Globe® for Best Foreign Film. The Flowers of War, starring
Academy Award® winner Christian Bale* and introducing Ni Ni, is a
powerful and epic tale of love and war, where a band of outcasts emerge
as unlikely heroes from the shadows of a city’s occupation. The Flowers of War Blu-ray Disc and DVD, including a feature length “making of” documentary, released on July 10th for the suggested retail price of $29.99 and $27.98, respectively.
In
1937, Nanking stands at the forefront of a war between China and Japan.
As the invading Japanese Imperial Army overruns China's capital city,
desperate civilians seek refuge behind the nominally protective walls of
a western cathedral. Here, John Miller (Bale), an American trapped
amidst the chaos of battle and the ensuing occupation takes shelter,
joined by a group of innocent schoolgirls and thirteen courtesans,
equally determined to escape the horrors taking place outside the church
walls. Struggling to survive the violence and persecution wrought by
the Japanese army, it is an act of heroism, which eventually leads the
seemingly disparate group to fight back, risking their lives for the
sake of everyone.
My Thoughts:
This was one movie I missed when it was in theaters last year, but made a point to watch as soon as it released on DVD. I have been a fan of Christian Bale's, way before he became famous for his role in The Dark Knight films. And, I was not disappointed with his stellar performance in this film, which I watched over the weekend.
I am not usually one to like war-based films, but the war sequences in this film were nothing I had seen before. At times, scenes were graphic in nature, but I feel the director included these to move the viewer. I found myself turning away on a few occasions, where young children were involved in these war scenes, as they were disturbing to watch as a mother to young children. My husband, who usually watches movies about war, agreed that this film was well scripted and even made him tear up at times -- don't tell him I told you this, or he'd get mad. :-)
As soon as the movie began, we were both hooked, and sitting on the edge of our seats. We both found ourselves rooting for Christian Bale's character to lead the young women to safety, during the time of Japan's rape of Nanking in 1937. This film does an amazing job in showing how someone, who is not tired to certain people, will sacrifice his life and honor to help protect them. Very moving, and worth watching -- even though the difficult and very graphic war scenes. You will be moved by the ending. And, if you cry while watching films, make sure you have a box of tissues next to you -- I went through half a box by the end of the movie.
As soon as the movie began, we were both hooked, and sitting on the edge of our seats. We both found ourselves rooting for Christian Bale's character to lead the young women to safety, during the time of Japan's rape of Nanking in 1937. This film does an amazing job in showing how someone, who is not tired to certain people, will sacrifice his life and honor to help protect them. Very moving, and worth watching -- even though the difficult and very graphic war scenes. You will be moved by the ending. And, if you cry while watching films, make sure you have a box of tissues next to you -- I went through half a box by the end of the movie.
Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this DVD from the vendor in order to write up an honest review. The views above are mine and mine alone.
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