Devils on the Doorstep
by Wen Jiang
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ding Yuan, Kenya Sawada, Teruyuki Kagawa, Wen Jiang, Yihong JiangDirector: Wen Jiang
Brand: Image Entertainment
Writer: Wen Jiang
Producer: Hua Zhang
Writer: Fengwei You
Writer: Haiying Li
Writer: Jianquan Shi
Writer: Ping Shu
Writer: Xing Liu
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Cantonese (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 139 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-04-19
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Homevision
Movie Reviews of Devils on the Doorstep
Movie Review: Brilliant Dark-Comedy War Film: Not For Everyone!
Summary: 5 Stars
When I first viewed "Devils on the Doorstep," I thought, well, okay, is this what all the hype is about? I have seen more graphic and brutal films on war than this! And quite frankly, I probably would have given the film 3-stars instead of 5-stars. However, I decided to watch it again, and found the film more than lived up to all of its hype. I am surprised that this film has received so many 5-star ratings--but maybe the other reviewers saw something in this film the I saw too! As a word of caution, however, this is not a film for everyone. For one, the brutality of the war Japan waged in China in WWII is not given full weight, and secondly, the films most unusual ending seem a bit too bizarre.
Yet, it was on the second viewing that I really liked what director Jiang Wen did with this film. You want constant brutality? Well there are enough documentary films which depict the true horror of Japans occupation of China. But what was it about this film that captured my attention so much upon second viewing? Well for starters, I liked the way the director weaved a film that shows a little bit of humanity in the film. Sure, Ma Dasan could have killed his captors whenever he wanted to. But he did not. Maybe there is a morality tale here?
Especially considering that the Japanese soldier held captive wanted to be killed, or allowed to die with honor. After all, Japanese soldiers' lives were forfeit to the emperor by default. Moreover, to be taken prisoner was considered shameful. And considering all of the suffering that the Japanese inflicted on the Chinese during WWII, the killing of the Japanese soldier would have been no big deal. But the director does not take the viewer to these oft treaded waters that so many films that pass for cinema usually take the viewer.
And this is one of the reasons I liked this film. The Chinese do not dehumanize themselves as the Japanese do in this film. No, the Chinese depicted in the film have the moral high ground. And it is a shame that the government of China decided to place director Jiang Wen under house arrest and ban any further films by this talented director, because he did not TELL the viewer how brutal the Japanese were, he shows the viewer this in the film. [Jiang Wen also portrays the captor Ma Dasan in this film]. The film itself takes place in China during the closing months of WWII, and the invading Japanese army occupies a small village in a northern area of a China.
Although the memory of the Second World War has lessened in its impact in the USA, when one realizes the enormous human losses and suffering the Japanese inflicted on their fellow Asians, and the Chinese in particular, then one can understand why the Chinese do not allow this war to rest and go quietly into the history books. Enormous suffering was incurred against the Chinese. In the film, two Japanese soldiers are held hostage by a Chinese peasant named Ma Dasan. Both of the prisoners are first held in bags, and then imprisoned: All within easy reach of a fortified Japanese position. One of the hostages [A Japanese soldier] wants to be killed, while the other one, his Chinese interpretor working alongside the Japanese army, wants to live. Those around Ma Dasan want the soldiers executed.
However, Ma Dasan has his own plan. And eventually a decision is reached, which has horrifying consequences. One of the things about this film is that it is more or less a drama and semi-comedy to some extent for the first hour and a half. But the ending half hour is where some very unexpected events will occur. The film is shot in black and white, with Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese language. English subtitles are provided. It is a great film! and a must have for your cinema collection. And once again, the film is not for everyone, so rent it first. But for those who like Asian cinema, the film comes highly recommended! [Stars: 4.5]
Summary of Devils on the Doorstep
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and banned in its native country, Jiang Wen?s ravishingly photographed anti-war epic is set in 1945 in a Japanese-occupied rural Chinese village. Wen stars as Ma Dasan, a peasant, who, one night at gunpoint, is compelled to shelter two prisoners. One is a captured Japanese soldier who wants to be killed, the other his Chinese interpreter, who wants to stay alive. As the days turn into months, Dasan and his fellow villagers keep their unwanted guests hidden from the Japanese forces, while deciding whether or not to execute their captives. A plan to exchange the men for grain leads to the film?s harrowing and devastating climax.Similar DVD Movies
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