| John Rabe | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Florian Gallenberger |
| Produced by | Benjamin Herrmann Mischa Hofmann Jan Mojto |
| Written by | Florian Gallenberger |
| Starring | Ulrich Tukur Daniel Brühl Steve Buscemi Anne Consigny Jingchu Zhang |
| Music by | Annette Focks |
| Cinematography | Jürgen Jürges |
| Editing by | Hansjörg Weißbrich |
| Release date(s) | Germany: 2 April 2009 France: 27 April 2011 |
| Running time | 134 mins |
| Country | Germany China France |
| Language | Mandarin Chinese Cantonese Chinese German English Japanese |
| Budget | €15,151,200 ¥136,612,000 US$20,000,000 |
John Rabe (released in the UK as City of War: The Story of John Rabe[1]) is a 2009 German-Chinese-French biopictorial film directed by Florian Gallenberger and starring Ulrich Tukur, Daniel Brühl and Steve Buscemi.
It focuses upon the experiences of John Rabe, a German businessman who used his Nazi Party membership to create a protective International Safety Zone in Nanking, helping to save over 200,000 Chinese from the Nanking Massacre in late 1937 and early 1938. The massacre and atrocities were committed subsequent to the Battle of Nanking by the invading Imperial Japanese Army after they defeated the Chinese Nationalist forces defending the city during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Based upon John Rabe's published wartime diaries, shooting for the film commenced in 2007,[2] and it premiered at the 59th Berlin Film Festival on 7 February 2009. After the film was released it was not given a theatrical distribution in Japan.[3]
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The movie begins in Nanking during late 1937, where German businessman John Rabe, director of the local Siemens subsidiary, and his wife Dora have resided for almost thirty years. The thought of transferring management to his successor Fliess and returning to Berlin is a substantial professional setback for him. During the farewell ball in his honor, Nanking is bombarded by planes of the Japanese forces. Rabe opens the company gate and saves the panicked civilians.
While the fires are being put out the next morning and the damages are inspected, the remaining foreigners in the city discuss what they can do in the face of the threat. Dr. Rosen, a German Embassy Attache of partly Jewish descent, reports about Shanghai where a safety zone was established for civilians. His suggestion of a similar zone is warmly supported by his superior, Ambassador Trautmann, and Valérie Dupres, director of the International Girls College. John Rabe is nominated as the chairman of the international committee, since he is a German "ally" of the Japanese. The committee meets, though with the initial reluctance of Dr. Robert O. Wilson, the U.S. head doctor of a local hospital, who harbors ideological antipathy towards the German "Nazi" Rabe. The next day, Rabe sends his wife back to his own country. Tragically, the ship is bombed, and the passengers onboard are killed, presumably including his wife.
Meanwhile, Japanese forces have captured many National Revolutionary Army soldiers during a battle outside of Nanking. Nanking is then brutally overrun. John Rabe and the international committee however manage to have the Nanking Safety Zone recognized by the Japanese authorities. Hundreds of thousands seek refuge; more than anticipated and overstretching the committee's resources. Further atrocities follow, and every member of the committee trys their best to keep these innocent people safe. Mmme. Dupres stoutly refuses to give up the students of the Girls College.
Under all the stress, Dr. Wilson and Rabe become friends, drinking, singing, and playing the piano together. The committee celebrates Christmas. Some packages have made it to them from the outside world. Rabe even gets an unmarked one. It is a Gugelhupf cake. Rabe faints as he realizes that his wife must have sent him this, his favorite cake, as a secret message that she is safe and well. His friends rush to his aid. Dr. Wilson discovers that Rabe is diabetic and has run out of insulin. The doctor manages then to procure some vital insulin from the Japanese authorities.
Life, and survival, become more desperate in the new year. Rabe offers his last savings to buy supplies. As Japanese troops march up to the gates of the zone, Chinese civilians form human shields together with the international committee. Japanese tanks are brought into position as well, but before a shot can be fired, the horn of a steamboat signals the return of Western diplomats and journalists.
The film ends with Rabe making his farewells. Carrying a small suitcase, he is escorted by a troupe of Japanese through the ruins of Nanking to the harbor. There he is recognized and cheered by the Chinese. Finally, he is reunited with his wife on the pier.
Most major characters are historically accurate. However, Rabe's important fellow Nanking Safety Zone committee member Minnie Vautrin, actual director of the Ginling Girls College, is substituted by a fictive French Lady Valérie Dupres of an "International Girls College".
"After such a long time, there should be a way of dealing differently with the responsibility they have, rather than trying to avoid it or make it disappear."
Florian Gallenberger stated that although working with the Chinese censorship authorities was protracted, it was not impossible. The resulting film was deemed satisfactory. International Sino-Japanese politics was a more erratic interference. At one point concern about good relations because of a major gas exploration joint-venture caused production to be halted. When a Japanese school book was published without the inclusion of the Nanking Massacre however, the go-ahead was given again.[5]
The film picked up over seven German Film Awards nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Gallenberger), Best Actor (Tukur) and Best Supporting Actor (for Buscemi, one of the few times that a Lola nomination has been given to a non-German citizen – Buscemi is American). It won the awards for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. Lead actor Ulrich Tukur also won the 2009 Bavarian Film Awards for Best Actor.
In Japan, none of the major film companies were willing to watch the screening.[6] Florian Gallenberger also confirmed those difficulties.[5] The director was asked by one potential Japanese distributor if they could remove all footage of Prince Asaka, but were refused.[7] The movie, which did not have a theatrical release in Japan, was one of several made commemorating the 70th anniversary of the events of Nanjing, and met with vociferous opposition from right-wing nationalists in Japan who even released a number of Japanese films claiming that the Nanking Massacre never occurred.[3]
The movie received a 'fresh' rating of 75% based on 32 published reviews at the aggregate movie review website Rotten Tomatoes, and a 77% audience approval rating based on over 640 votes at the same site. John Rabe also met with a favourable reception when it was reviewed by The New York Times. The review noted, however, that: "with its solid performances and sweeping set pieces... “John Rabe” has its visceral moments. But it is also burdened by manipulative clichés of a screenplay in which exposition outweighs character development.", and also: "inspired by Rabe’s diaries... it tells the story almost exclusively from a Western point of view."[8]
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