The Flowers of War (Chinese: 金陵十三钗, Pinyin: Jīnlíng Shísān Chāi ) is a 2011 Chinese-Hong Kong historical drama war film directed by Zhang Yimou, starring Christian Bale, Ni Ni, Zhang Xinyi, Tong Dawei, Atsuro Watabe, Shigeo Kobayashi and Cao Kefan.
As the Japanese overrun the Chinese army, desperate schoolgirls flee to the sanctuary of their convent at a Western-run Roman Catholic church.
Several days later, he hands Miller an official invitation for the schoolgirls to sing at the Japanese Army's victory celebration.
When the de facto leader of the schoolgirls, Shu Juan, convinces them that they are better off committing suicide by jumping off the church tower, they are saved at the last moment when the de facto leader of the prostitutes, Yu Mo, convinces her group to protect the schoolgirls by taking their place at the Japanese party.
Miller initially opposes their self-sacrificial decision but relents and assists in disguising them, using his skills as a mortician to adjust their makeup and cut their hair to appear like schoolgirls.
Using a single-person permit provided by Mr. Meng (the father of Shu, one of the schoolgirls), who`s a Chinese collaborator of the Japanese (and is later killed by them), drives out of Nanjing.
Regarding Colonel Hasegawa's sympathetic features, he explained that "in 1937, the militaristic notion among Japanese armies was very prevalent, and officers were not allowed to sing a homesick folk song, but we still wanted to endow this character with something special.
"[24] The director articulated that his biggest, though challenging, accomplishment in the film was the creation of John Miller, saying that "this kind of character, a foreigner, a drifter, a thug almost, becomes a hero and saves the lives of Chinese people.
[25] One challenging aspect was what Zhang called the "very slow pace" of negotiation with the Chinese censorship authorities during the editing process.
[27] Zhang stated that the story in The Flowers of War differs from many other Chinese films on this subject as it is told from the perspectives of women.
Wu Hehu, the general manager of Shanghai United Cinema Circuit, made a statement, saying "this is a simple business situation.
The site's consensus reads, "Zhang Yimou's stylistic flair is in full bloom during The Flowers of War, but his colorful treatment of a historical genocide ultimately does a disservice to the horrifying events' inherent drama.
"[50] Variety gave a generally positive review, describing the film as "a uniquely harrowing account of the rape of Nanjing," and defined it as "a work of often garish dramatic flourishes yet undeniable emotional power, finding humor and heartbreak in a tale of unlikely heroism in close quarters.
"[51] Andrew Pulver describes it as "a new dawn in China-Hollywood co-operation", arguing that "this ambitious war film from Zhang Yimou is an attempt to turn the revolting aftermath of the 1937 Japanese assault on Nanjing into a globally friendly, putatively inspiring epic that also aims to underscore the US and China's geopolitical mutual respect.
"[52] Most negative feedback from critics were similar to that from Toronto Star, which gave the film two and a half out of four, and said that "the drama is often weakened by the penchant for creating spectacles.