City of Life and Death (2009) (C-Movie)

Chapter 1: Masa, a Japanese soldier
1937. Like many ordinary Japanese people, Masa’s tranquil rural life is disrupted forever. Drafted into the Imperial Army, the young farmer receives two very different farewells on his departure. His mother gives him a samurai sword – to commit ritual suicide rather than shame his family and the Emperor. His nanny just tells him to come home alive, whatever. The military drills are tough and rigorous, but like most young recruits, Masa is dying to go to China and fight for the Emperor. Masa’s unit fights its way into
Shanghai, but they lose almost half the men. One of the officers promoted are Masa and Sozo. A few months later, they enter the city of Nanking as decorated heroes. Ordered to eliminate 7,000 surrendered Chinese soldiers, the two start a killing competition. It is photographed by the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun. Although Masa initially forbids his men to violate any woman, the sight of one of them raping a mother and daughter arouses a physical instinct in him. He joins the rape and receives a round of cheers for it. He orders the victims to be killed. Rape becomes a pastime and addiction for him. One officer is murdered during a raping spree in a refugee camp. Masa has all the Chinese men in the camp executed.

Chapter 2: Xiong, a Chinese soldier
As the Japanese troops sink into a downward spiral of cruelty, Xiong, a lieutenant of the National Party, does his best to defend the country. After losing his platoon at the fall of Nanking, he hides out in the refugee camp set up by a German businessman, John Rabe. Xiong’s greatest worry is Yun, his lover who has gone missing. Rabe has provided a sanctuary for tens of thousands of Chinese. One day, Japanese soldiers search the camp for Chinese soldiers. Xiong is detained along with others. At the point of execution, Rabe intercedes with five women claiming him and four other men as their husbands, and proving their civilian status. Yun is one of them. However, this is their final meeting as Yun is caught in further rescue attempts and gets shot before Xiong’s very eyes. Xiong works undercover as a Red Cross member to save civilians.Thanks to his uniform, he is spared from the massacre of all males in the camp, ordered by Masa. Thousands of Chinese men are used as live targets for training rookie Japanese soldiers. Xiong and the older men are given the task of dumping the bodies into a river. Rabe finally rescues Xiong – the last man to survive Masa’s killing spree. This drives Masa mad. Three days later, he spots Xiong on the street and arrests him. Eventually, after a night of unexpected reversals, Masa releases Xiong, who escapes to rejoin the Chinese resistance, and survives the war. On the eve of his escape, he breaks down in tears before Rabe.

Chapter 3: Masa and Xiong
1945. Masa is repatriated. His mother has passed away, and his nanny arranges his marriage to a sweet hometown girl. However, he is arrested as a war criminal by the American occupation on his wedding day. 1946. Masa faces trial in China. The photograph taken by Japanese press becomes incriminating evidence for his death sentence. At the execution, he notices a familiar face. It is Xiong, who carried out the execution. Xiong finds himself weeping afterwards. No one knows he is a survivor from Nanking. 300,000 Chinese were murdered in Nanking in 1937.