In Theaters : THE FLOWERS OF WAR (2011)

Official Synopsis : In 1937, Nanking stands at the forefront of a war between China and Japan. As the invading Japanese Imperial Army overruns China’s capital city, desperate civilians seek refuge behind the nominally protective walls of a western cathedral. Here, John Miller (CHRISTIAN BALE), an American trapped amidst the chaos of battle and the ensuing occupation takes shelter, joined by a group of innocent schoolgirls and thirteen courtesans, equally determined to escape the horrors taking place outside the church walls. Struggling to survive the violence and persecution wrought by the Japanese army, it is an act of heroism which eventually leads the seemingly disparate group to fight back, risking their lives for the sake of everyone. Through treacherous surroundings and facing unimaginable evil, THE FLOWERS OF WAR, inspired by true life events, manages to tell a genuine story of hope, love and sacrifice. With nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, fate always has a way of bringing the most unlikely heroes together.

Genre: War, Drama, History

Critical Response : Mixed. Although the movie was widely publicized as a strong Foreign Film contender at various awards, which seemed to be confirmed by the recent Golden Globes nomination, "The Flowers of War" has been receiving mixed reviews for the most part, which is what probably led to the movie being left off the Academy Awards short-list. Critics mostly had issues with the way Zhang handles the narrative, creating an epic canvas that delivers strong individual moments, but as a whole feels heavy-handed and overly melodramatic. Christian Bale has also received some less-than-stellar reviews for his performance, which is considered to be flat and cartoonish. Rated 45% on Rottentomatoes.com from 13 positive and 16 negative reviews (Average Score : 5.7 out of 10)

More Details : 

• Starring : Christian Bale, Shigeo Kobayashi, Huang Tianyuan, Zhang Xinyi, Cao Kefan.

• Director : Yimou Zhang ("House of Flying Daggers", "Hero").

• Screenplay : Heng Liu, based on a novel by Geling Yan.

• Running Time : 158 min.

• Rating :  R for strong violence including a sexual assault, disturbing images, and brief strong language.

Multimedia Content:

• THE FLOWERS OF WAR (2011) - Exclusive Movie Clip
• THE FLOWERS OF WAR (2011) - International Trailer and Poster

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