The Best Film of 2011: Zhang Yimou's "The Flowers of War"

Hi everyone!

I'd normally feature a book review today but I've been so busy that I didn't make as much progress on Martin Evans' "Algeria: France's Undeclared War" (Oxford University Press, 2012) as I'd hoped. I'll be reviewing that next Saturday.

Instead I've decided to review Chinese director Zhang Yimou's latest film "The Flowers of War" which I just returned from seeing. You may know of Mr. Zhang from his previous martial arts historical epics "The House of Flying Daggers" and "Hero". While I'm not a fan of the genre, I've always appreciated Mr. Zhang's eye for stunning, almost achingly beautiful cinematography and a rather languid yet exciting narrative pace. You may have heard about "The Flowers of War" from the press it received upon its premiere in Beijing last month and from the diplomatic brouhaha its star, Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale, found himself in when he attempted to visit a dissident Chinese journalist under house arrest and was subsequently roughed-up by Chinese police.

Politics aside, "The Flowers of War" is a remarkable film that deserves to be given just as much Oscar attention as any other film currently in the running this season. It tells the story of a ne'er-do-well American mortician named John (Mr. Bale) who finds himself trapped in a convent school in Nanjing, China during the brutal 1937 Japanese invasion and massacre. Against all intentions, John ends up pretending to be the priest in charge of the convent and subsequently the protector of the convent schoolgirls and a group of Chinese prostitutes who have come seeking refuge from the brutality of the Japanese siege.

Mr. Zhang does not spare his audience the atrocities the Japanese committed. The film is rife with bloody and horrific battle scenes that will have you tied in knots, wanting to look away at times were it not for the fact that the images on screen are so visually arresting you simply can't. But there is also much beauty to be seen and humanity where you might least expect it. I was frequently reminded of three films by Stephen Spielberg, a great friend of Mr. Zhang's who also apparently suggested he cast Mr. Bale: "War Horse," "Saving Private Ryan," and "Empire of the Sun." The battle scenes have a grainy, documentary-style quality that brings to mind the urban combat scenes in "Saving Private Ryan"  as well as the hellishness depicted in the trench warfare scenes of "War Horse."

The costumes, lighting, and sheer visual sweep at times reminded me of Bernardo Bertolucci's great Oscar-winning Chinese historical epic "The Last Emperor."

As for the performances, Christian Bale gives a nicely rounded portrayal of a man who goes from living only for himself to sacrifice on the behalf of others. Chinese actress Ni Ni looks great and wins our sympathy as Yu Mo, the 'leader' of the prostitutes and the film's ultimate heroine. Young actress Xinyi Zhang is particularly affecting as the film's narrator who is also one of the convent girls. The supporting cast--both Chinese and Japanese--is strong as well.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that "The Flowers of War" is my pick for the Best Film of 2011. It won't win any awards here in the U.S. and it's certainly not receiving broad distribution, though I was happy to see that the screening I attended at one of the AMC theaters here in Chicago was  pretty well-packed and the audience seemed quite engrossed. While I've definitely seen films with stronger performances, better screenplays, etc...where "The Flowers of War" succeeds for me is in pure cinematic impact. For as much as I enjoyed "War Horse" from a visual perspective, "The Flowers of War" had a more visceral immediacy that drew me in from the opening shot and didn't let go until the closing credits.

I'll be sharing more of my top film picks next weekend--including my Top 10 list for 2011. But in the meantime, if you happen to live in a city or a near a city that is showing Mr. Zhang's latest (his masterpiece)...I encourage you to check it out. I don't think you'll be disappointed. The story it tells is grim and unpleasant but it demonstrates that even in the midst inhumanity, the twin flowers of hope and heroism can still blossom against all odds.

Ciao.