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| John Rabe | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Florian Gallenberger |
| Written by | Florian Gallenberger |
| Produced by | Benjamin Herrmann Mischa Hofmann Jan Mojto |
| Starring | Ulrich Tukur Daniel Brühl Steve Buscemi Anne Consigny Jingchu Zhang |
| Cinematography | Jürgen Jürges |
| Edited by | Hansjörg Weißbrich |
| Music by | Annette Focks |
Release dates | Germany: 2 April 2009 France: 27 April 2011 |
Running time | 134 mins |
| Countries | Germany China France |
| Languages | Mandarin Chinese Cantonese German English Japanese |
| Budget | €15,151,200 ¥136,612,000 US$20,000,000 |
John Rabe (released in the UKasCity of War: The Story of John Rabe[1]) is a 2009 German-Chinese-French biopictorial film directed by Florian Gallenberger and starring Ulrich Tukur, Daniel Brühl and Steve Buscemi.
It focuses upon the experiences of John Rabe, a German businessman who used his Nazi party membership to construct a Safety Zone in Nanking, and saved over 200,000 Chinese from the Nanking massacre, which was being committed by the invading Imperial Japanese Army after the 1937 Battle of Nanking. Based upon Rabe's wartime diaries, shooting for the film commenced in 2007,[2] and it premiered at the 59th Berlin Film Festival on 7 February 2009.
The film picked up over seven German Film Awards nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Gallenberger), Best Actor (Tukur) and Best Supporting Actor (for Buscemi, one of the few times that a Lola nomination has been given to a non-German citizen – Buscemi is American). It won for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. Lead actor Ulrich Tukur also won the 2009 Bavarian Film Awards for Best Actor.
Fall-Winter 1937. For nearly thirty years, German businessman John Rabe and his wife Dora have resided in Nanking, the Chinese capital of that time. He is the director of the Siemens subsidiary there. The thought of transferring management to his successor Flie and returning to Berlin is a substantial professional setback for him. During the farewell ball in his honor, Nanking is bombarded by planes of the Japanese forces. Rabe opens the company gate and saves the panic civilians. While the fires are being put out the next morning and the damages are inspected, the remaining foreigners in the city discuss what they can do in the face of the threat. Dr. Rosen, a German Embassy Attache of partly Jewish descent with reduced chances of promotion, reports about Shanghai where a safety zone was established for civilians, suggesting as similar zone, warmly supported by his superior, Ambassador Trautmann. Valérie Dupres, director of the International Girls College, is enthused and nominates John Rabe, as a German in a way an "ally" of the Japanese, as the chairman of the international committee. This meets though with the initial reluctance of Dr. Robert O. Wilson, US head doctor of a local hospital, who harbors idiological antipathy towards the German "Nazi" Rabe.The next day, Rabe sends his wife back to own country, unfortunately, the ship is bombed, people on the ship are killed, including his wife.
Meanwhile, Japanese forces have captured many National Revolutionary Army soldiers during a battle outside of Nanking.Nanking is then brutally overrun. John Rabe and the international committee however manage to have the Nanking Safety Zone recognized by the Japanese authorities. Hundreds of thousands seek refuge; more than anticipated and overstretching the committee's resources. Further atrocities follow, every member of the committee trys their best to keep these innocent people safe. Mmme Dupres stoutly refuses to give girlsof the Girls College. There is a great girl, whose name is Langshu. She is very brave, and her brother kills a Japanses soldier.
Under all the stress, Dr. Wilson and Rabe become friends; drinking, singing, and playing the piano together. The committee celebrates Christmas together. Some packages have made it to them from the outside world. Rabe even gets an unmarked one. It is a Gugelhupf cake. Rabe faints as he realizes that his wife must have sent him this, his favorite cake, as a secret message that she is safe and well. His friends rush to his aid. Dr. Wilson discovers that Rabe is diabetic and has run out of insulin. The doctor manages then to procure some vital insulin from the Japanese authorities.
Things get more desperate in the new year. Rabe offers his last savings to buy supplies. As Japanese troops march up to the gates of the zone, Chinese civilians form human shields together with the international committee. Japanese tanks are brought into position as well, but before a shot can be fired, the horn of a steamboat signals the return of Western diplomats and journalists.
The film ends with Rabe making his farewells. Carrying a small suitcase, he is escorted by a troupe of Japanese through the ruins of Nanking to the harbor. There he is recognized and cheered by the Chinese. Finally, he is reunited with his wife on the pier.
Most major characters are historically accurate. However, Rabe's important fellow Nanking Safety Zone committee member Minnie Vautrin, actual director of the Ginling Girls College, is substituted by a fictive French Lady Valérie Dupres of an "International Girls College".
"After such a long time, there should be a way of dealing differently with the responsibility they have, rather than trying to avoid it or make it disappear."
-Director Florian Gallenberger, hoping the film will trigger a new dialogue and help Japan come to terms with its past.[3]
Florian Gallenberger stated that although working with the Chinese censorship authorities was protracted, it was not impossible. The resulting film was deemed satisfactory. International Sino-Japanese politics was a more erratic interference. At one point concern about good relations because of a major gas exploration joint-venture caused production to be halted. When a Japanese school book was published without the Nanking massacre however, the go-ahead was given again.[4]
In Japan, none of the major film companies were willing to watch the screening.[5] Florian Gallenberger also confirms these difficulties.[4] The director was asked by one potential distributor if they could remove all footage of Prince Asaka, but were refused.[6]
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