edward_barett

I enjoyed this movie from the very beginning to its end. Direction is superb, screenplay, character's performance, everything is brilliantly played and the output is understandingly remarkable. On the other hand, I disagree with some of the opinions posted on this board; this movie does not intend to reflect the lack of improvement since the fall of communism in Poland, or the advances of capitalism. It is not focused on politics, or at least I never got that impression. It's merely a burlesque artwork on human feelings, disillusion and settled values of this new global society; the impact they have on the lives of people in a small town in central Europe. Villages are the same elsewhere, in France or in USA, in Brazil or in Sweden, and villagers are always subjected to mockery because of their outdated and weird customs. For me, this is the best movie i've ever seen from Poland, and a great surprise. Will always recommend it!

I've been really impressed by this film. The way it makes a contrast between the fragility of the Chinese position and the vast and enormous military resources at the hands of the Japanese to simply dispose of the Chinese population just the way they want, remorseless and unlimited in their decisions, creates in the spectator a sense of utter despair and impotence, as the starting violence and euphoria transforms into raw and premeditated brutality. But this same perspective makes you appreciate more intensely the triumph of the defeated's mentality over the conquerors' one, the silent resistance that becomes an unified wall against the oppression and ruthless rule of the Japanese military, whom at the end began to fall apart morally. The action is awesomely captured, photography is great, and direction is remarkable, some scenes hit you really hard, but not to the extent to consider it a sadist or heavy-to-watch film. Henceforth, one of my favorites war movies of all time.