The Flowers of War
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Friday, January 06, 1:30 PM
Camelot Theatres
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Sunday, January 08, 4:30 PM
Camelot Theatres
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Saturday, January 14, 12:00 PM
Palm Springs High School
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The Flowers of War
Jin ling shi san chai
China, 2011, 141 Minute Running Time
Topics: Asian, History, War
Program: Awards Buzz : Best Foreign Language Film
Language: Mandarin English Sub-Titles
Having proven himself a top-flight purveyor of spectacle with the likes of House of Flying Daggers (and the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony), Zhang Yimou now reminds us that his films pack an emotional punch to rival their visual impact. With the Japanese Imperial Army rampaging through Nanking in 1937, missionary John Haufman (Christian Bale) defiantly refuses to flee the city. Taken with the plight of the schoolgirls and prostitutes who are being victimized by the invading troops, Haufman endeavors to help them escape the atrocities that history now remembers as the Nanking Massacre. Steven Spielberg has asserted that the central theme in Zhang's work is that “the conflict of man foretells the desire for inner peace,” and this latest feature is a splendid example of that fixation. While boasting the audacious set-pieces expected of a wartime epic, its narrative ultimately hinges on the internal conflicts and crises of conscience facing Haufman and other key players. War's abundant mayhem will certainly leave you rattled but it's the human drama that will linger with you long after the final shot has been fired.
DIRECTOR: Yimou Zhang
Producer: Weiping Zhang
Editor: Peicong Meng
Screenwriter: Liu Heng
Cinematographer: Xiaoding Zhao
Music: Qigang Chen
Principal Cast: Christian Bale, Huang Hai-Bo, Tong Da-Wei, Qin Hao, Paul Schneider, Shigeo Kobayashi, Tenma, Ziang Bin, Nie Yuan
Filmography: A Woman, A Gun and a Noodle Shop (2009), Curse of the Golden Flower (2006), Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (2005), House of Flying Daggers (2004), Hero (2002), To Live (1994)
Print Source: Wrekin Hill Entertainment - www.wrekinhillentertainment.com