Monday, March 13, 2006

Japanese Atrocities Night

Men Behind The Sun – 1988

     Both movies tonight deal with atrocities of the Japanese against the Chinese during World War II. Its not so well known here in the US that the Japanese were as bad against the Chinese as the Nazi were against the Jews. I don’t know the numbers, and I don’t know how much of the details are accurate, but the broad outlines cannot be denied (unless you’re one of those who try and deny the holocaust).

Anywho, this first flick has some truly great special effects, and gruesome torture. The scene where they strip the meat of a living woman’s forearms and hands is pretty damn shocking, even for me. Very well done and fairly upsetting. Again, not for the weak of heart.

Subtitles and English language track are both available. Print is in pretty good shape, and audio is clear.

Three beers out of five.

Black Sun – The Nanking Massacre – 1995

     This movie is listed as Men Behind the Sun IV. Parts II and III were cheap knockoffs, but The Nanking Massacre is by the same director as the original. And its as disturbing. Within the first 15 minutes, we have a scene where a Japanese soldier, as they have just captured the capital city of Nanking, bayonets a pregnant woman, and brings out the fetus on the end of his rifle. That oughta be gross enough for ya.

The Japanese shoot thousands of people, often tricking them into coming out of hiding with offers of food, money, and work. Pretty grim stuff, although if this is true, the Chinese were none too bright in that day, as they keep falling for the oldest trick in the book over and over again.

There were several extras on this disc, about the history of the making, and it’s reception, but I was too tired to watch ‘em.

Three beers out of five.