Film Review: Nanjing! Nanjing! (2009)

City of Life and Death is a 2009 Chinese historical drama based on ‘Battle of Nanjing‘ and its aftermath which is famously known as Nanjing Massacre. The battle was fought in 1937 between Japan and China during 2nd Sino-Japanese War. When Japanese invaded the Nanjing city, they showed no mercy on Chinese as massacre began in next 6 weeks which included mass murders, human tortures, slavery and most specifically war rapes.

A German businessman and Nazi party member, John Rabe, ran Nanjing Safety Zone, where thousands of Chinese women, children, elders and wounded soldiers took refuge. This safety zone was created by International Committee for the Nanking Safety Zone. Despite all the efforts, the Japanese soldiers forcefully entered the zone for raping Chinese female refugees. This was repeated numerous times as women later on decided to cut their hairs and dress like men to save their lives. Later on the Japanese officer ordered at least 100 women to join Japanese camps as ‘comfort women’. And the massacre moved on…

John Rabe got orders from Germany to return and stop his activities of running the safety zone. His secretary Tang left his daughter to die and sister-in-law rape. While leaving the zone, Tang, at the last moment decided to stay and let his wife move in order to make way for a Chinese soldier. Tang’s wife revealed she was pregnant and later on, Tang was executed.

Can’t believe that Chinese cinema can be up to a merit of amazing cinematic substance as brilliant direction and realistic screenplay saw the movie meeting commercial and international success. The movie won many international awards in film festivals. A terrific period masterpiece.

Rating 7.6/10

 

The Three Witches and No-Ball Dynasty

Abominable or Adorable? The slavery of justice is impeccable…

Once, the three witches, who prophesied Macbeth of his becoming king, returned and landed on earth after 4 centuries, this time at Iqbal Park in Lahore. Their ears heard something familiar which was related to them, prophecy. The man on stage was addressing his nation, talking about his movement, cheering his supporters, and embarking on his wisdom. 

Somehow, the witches were stunned when they heard that specific word, Tsunami, which roared his supporters nationwide. They were worried about these people because the last time the Tsunami ever severely hit was a year ago in Japan with the-then over 15,000 innocent lives officially graved. And these participating in the park were like ten-fold but they were to their surprise, gay and excited.

The witches moved to other parts of Pakistan with mixed responses to their wonder. They spot a boy gazing at them. Like if he was about to shout, the witches immediately flew to him to calm the closet. When witches confirmed their personification, the boy spoke up that the play, Macbeth, is taught in his school and always wished to see the witches in reality. When witches asked for the reason for such a wish, the boy replied of their importance of prophecies playing the core part in the ruling of Kingdom indirectly, as he wished to see them back to give prophesy this time under right hands for his country’s defense.

The witches were impressed but they convinced him of their return to a piece on earth was just under their observation of watching numerous Macbeths who don’t even need any prophecy. The boy wept and ran away, the witches kept touring. They found the army general waiting for martial law, chief justice of the highest court actually waiting for justice, medical students protesting outside their university, engineering students seeking jobs, TV anchors talking about patriotism, celebrities endorsing shame, mullahs arguing with mullahs as moo-laws, and the politicians doing everything but politics. Quite boozy-cal to upcoming elections to decide the country’s fate where such incidents happen. Oh, by the way, the witches crossed the line towards north to Waziristan. The militants opened fire on them by taking them as ‘Human Drones’, the witches somehow escaped unhurt.

All three witches now considered the boy’s wish to come true and challenged each other to prophesy the exact fate of the country. If foretold correct, will vanish her 2 partners forever;

• The 1st witch prophesied: “The most seasoned campaign of sitters (but not seaters) will somehow win the contest and struggle to lead”
• The 2nd witch prophesied: “The most trusted campaign who voice for reformation will convincingly win the race and dare to lead”
• The 3rd witch prophesied: “The good and the bad will win together but work together in opposite ways until the third force intervene”

[Normally, when elections are upheld or behold anywhere in any region (you may say legion), whatever you predict or foretell, you actually get results. A country in a state of plagiarism but morally adapted to pluralism easily lumberjacks the nation. The school of thought which at least develops an interest in book-reading and the on-air heated argument becomes a school of fought. Living in this country or being of this country, you are in a state of mind where you are disturbing or disturbed. So do knot disturb.]

Soon as the prophecies and results of elections are revealed, Hecate has fallen unconscious at an unknown location whereas the witches are yet to decide whether to vanish or not. So after so many no-balls, the ball is yet to deliver to complete the over as you know what I mean. The latest but traditional news is that the army general is still waiting for the next martial law.