John Rabe [Import]

I had to buy a copy of this one after renting it (on the suggestion of an avid customer who'd seen it). There were only two copies available and the DVD had been watched so many times that it kept pausing or jumping ahead, skipping over crucial parts. However, I was hooked by the parts I could see and was eager to watch it again when I got my brand new copy. I wasn't disappointed and have since raved about this film, urging people to see it. As portrayed in the movie, John Rabe comes across as a man, part of the Nazi regime, who had flaws but also showed extreme courage when trying to provide a safe zone for the Nanjing Chinese. He tried to protect those that he could, attempting to lessen the mass slaughter taking place in 1937 and 1938. Historians know all too well about the hundreds of thousands of Chinese who were killed, often in the most gruesome ways imaginable, during this time period. Even though Rabe was a Nazi, you'll likely find him very sympathetic and he definitely comes across as having strong ethics and morals. He even confronts fellow Nazis who are far more cold-hearted that Rabe. He sends a written appeal to Hitler to stop the killings.He cares about the Chinese and won't sacrifice his passion to the requirements of duties as a Nazi.

One warning: if you can't handle graphic details, this film may not be for you. The violence against the Chinese is shown in detail in many sections and is definitely painful to watch when at its strongest (but historically accurate from what I could find in later research). This film is so inspiring and well done that I'd urge potential viewers to add it to a permanent collection of outstanding historical movies. It was released in only small numbers, based on the copies I could find online and off, so you should grab it while you can. It fills in many details about John Rabe, a man who was in charge of the Siemans Factory and who was not prepared for the sudden influx of Japanese. He comes across as a very ordinary man faced with extraordinary circumstances and who could not turn his back on his workers. I don't want to give away any spoilers but will add that he comes up with some wise methods which he hopes will protect his workers as well as other Chinese, although not all of his actions are foolproof. There are some scenes that brought me to tears.

Some of the footage is clearly taken from actual films shot during the war. The most familiar actor in the movie for Americans may be Steve Buscemi and his performance as an American doctor is very believable. He distrusts Rabe at first and the evolution of the relationship between Rabe and the doctor is just one of the very watchable parts of this movie. The fact that this is NOT one of the most well-known parts of history for the average person also makes the film well worth viewing. I've since ordered books about Rabe so I can't note whether the film is totally accurate but one of the most intriguing parts is at the end. Rabe's life after the war is described, although this section is brief. I'm looking forward to reading Rabe's diary to compare it to the film. I'll edit this review if the diaries are far from the information portrayed in the film. Even if they are, I'd still urge those interested in suspenseful action films which are based on actual historical periods to watch this. I'll be interested in any comments from those who do and can reveal how accurately the film portrays Rabe's actions and personality. At the very least, this movie ought to leave viewers wanting to learn more about John Rabe.

I understand that but what I don't understand is why a woman named Minnie Vautrin, an American and director of the Ginling Women's Arts and Sciences College in Nanking, whose behavior was every bit as intelligent, courageous and selfless as John Rabe's during Nanking's horrific Japanese invasion, has been replaced by a fictitious Frenchwoman, who aside from foolishly endangering the whole Nanking safety zone, also has an unrequited crush on Mr. Rabe. Why? This is not just a minor quibble of historical accuracy. One of the reviews here shows that this movie leaves the impression that "Valerie Dupres" was real.

Minnie Vautrin was known by the Chinese as "The Living Goddess of Nanking," and with good reason. I am baffled by the movie makers' decision to elide this extraordinary woman from the record altogether.

This is not a bad movie but for the real story please read Iris Chang's The Rape of Nanking. John Rabe was a hero, but there was more than one there in that terrible place and time and they all deserve to be known.

Having read The Good German of Nanking: The Diaries of John Rabe, I was eager to watch this dramatization of John Rabe's role in saving hundreds of thousands of Chinese during the massacre of Nanjing by the Japanese Imperial army in 1937. Ulrich Tukur is credible as the German businessman who opts to stay and protect the Chinese civilians by setting up a Safety Zone. This safety zone protected around 200,000 Chinese civilians (historical accounts differ as to the actual number) from almost certain death during the six-week period that the Japanese troops terrorized the city and its inhabitants. This historical event has come to be known as the Nanjing Massacre (or Nanking Massacre), and is also called the Rape of Nanking because of the thousands of women and children who were brutally assaulted by Japanese soldiers during this period.

The movie itself has excerpts of Rabe's diaries as the "narrator" of events as they unfold. Ulrich Tukur plays John Rabe and delivers a compelling and credible performance. I liked that the movie does not overly romanticize Rabe. He is portrayed as a loyal citizen of Nazi Germany, and one who initially has hopes that his Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler, will step in and put a stop to Japanese atrocities in Nanjing (Japan being Germany's ally during WW II). He is disturbed when a fellow German, Dr. Georg Rosen (Daniel Bruhl) salutes "Heil Shitler" and reprimands him for being unpatriotic. Of course, Rosen has good reason for his act, explaining how Hitler's anti-Semitic policies have affected his family. It paints a rather naive picture of Rabe, who having spent about 27 years in China, has not realized (or perhaps, fails to see?) the danger posed by the Nazis.

Anyway, the story is not about the Nazis, but about Japanese atrocities in Nanjing, and how Rabe and a few foreigners try to save the Chinese civilians by setting up a Safety Zone. There is plenty of violence, and some archival footage woven into the narrative which is quite disturbing in its depiction of brutality and victims' suffering (but not nearly as disturbing as reading true accounts of the time, and seeing the actual historical photographs). This movie also suffers from melodramatic moments, as when a young Chinese girl tries to escape wearing a Japanese soldier's uniform, and miraculously flees to safety. Such stories may have happened, but the way it is dramatized in the movie seems a tad over the top.

Despite its flaws, I felt this movie was well-acted not just by Tukur (another WW II drama with Tukur is Amen a compelling drama about the Holocaust), but also the supporting cast, including Anne Consigny as Valerie Dupres, the lady who ran a Girls' College in Nanjing and fought to keep her girls safe from the Japanese soldiers. There's also the American doctor (played by Steve Buscemi) who is initially cynical about Rabe's intentions, but later comes to appreciate the man (also watch out for a wonderful duet by Rabe and the doctor, singing a song about Hitler's balls!). This is a compelling, well-acted historical drama, and merits watching for those who are interested in the subject.

For those who are interested in a documentary about the Nanjing Massacre, I'd recommend:
Nanking

Books on the subject:
The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II
Terror in Minnie Vautrin's Nanjing: Diaries and Correspondence, 1937-38