The Flowers of War

Name: The Flowers of War
Genre: Drama, History
Released: December 21, 2011
Duration: 146 min
Rating: 46
Cast: Christian Bale, Ni Ni, Xinyi Zhang

2011

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Mixed or average reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 78 Ratings

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7.2	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 78 Ratings

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The Flowers Of War

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Movie Details & Credits

Row 1 Entertainment | Release Date: December 21, 2011 | Not Rated

Starring: Christian Bale, Ni Ni, Xinyi Zhang

Summary: An unprincipled American is caught in the turmoil of China during the 1937 invasion by Japan. Seeking refuge in a Catholic Church, he meets up with a courtesan desperate to protect a group of schoolgirls from the vicious onslaught. Putting aside his usual selfish tendencies, the American risks everything to help them.

Director: Yimou Zhang

Genre(s): Drama, History

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 146 min

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Critic Reviews

Boxoffice Magazine Pete Hammond

Dec 29, 2011

Ultimately an inspiring, stirring and unforgettable human drama in the face of a horrifying war. It is highly recommended. Read full review

Rex Reed

Jan 17, 2012

It's a special film of sacrifice, redemption and hope in the shadow of a holocaust that packs an emotional wallop from which there is no escape. I can't get it out of my thoughts, and I recommend it highly. Read full review

Justin Chang

Dec 20, 2011

Scene by scene, The Flowers of War is an erratic and ungainly piece of storytelling, full of melodramatic twists and grotesque visual excesses (a bullet pierces first a stained-glass window and then a girl's neck), which are nonetheless delivered with startling conviction. Read full review

Andrew Schenker

Dec 19, 2011

This film has too many weak, unconnected strands (what's the subplot about the narrator's father doing here anyway?), too much overtly expositional dialogue, and too unfocused a narrative to really cohere. And then there's that whole matter of expendable whores. Read full review

Roger Ebert

Jan 18, 2012

Now let me ask you: Can you think of any reason the character John Miller is needed to tell his story? Was any consideration given to the possibility of a Chinese priest? Would that be asking for too much? Read full review

Sheri Linden

Dec 26, 2011

Flowers abounds with well-worn movie archetypes and slathers on schmaltz. Read full review

V.A. Musetto

Dec 23, 2011

Zhang Yimou, one of China's best-known filmmakers, deserves a great big lump of coal in his holiday stocking thanks to his ludicrous soap opera The Flowers of War. Read full review

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User Reviews

LILINICE

Dec 25, 2011

I have never been deeply moved by a Chinese movie,but the film ,The Flowes of War does it,.It made me a unforgettable impression.The polt and the frame of movie are very excellent .Most important, I was deeply stirred by the sad story of 13 FLOWERS .ALSO by the CHINA in the past .AsI have never been deeply moved by a Chinese movie,but the film ,The Flowes of War does it,.It made me a unforgettable impression.The polt and the frame of movie are very excellent .Most important, I was deeply stirred by the sad story of 13 FLOWERS .ALSO by the CHINA in the past .As a Chinese,I feel angry and wanna cry .But I can't forget the history of this period .This is a good film ,and it gives me a significant lesson.By the way,I hope you can love it like me.… Expand

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

lexi0125

Aug 19, 2012

Amazing Amazing Amazing movie. Tear jerker but amazing acting and amazing story line. It has to be one of the best movies I have ever seen. And I am a avid movie goer.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

NFW

Jun 25, 2015

There is no honorable war. It's all terrible. Don't agree, think of it this way: how are the deaths of 300,000 Chinese innocents and the rape of 20,000 Chinese women honorable? It's not. "The Flowers of War" isn't just an effective anti-war film, but a powerful picture on what it means to be human.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Kostie

Oct 11, 2013

A great film. Very interesting and moving story. You really get a view on the Nanjing Massacre with the graphic cruelty and horror shown in many scenes.
Wouldn't say it was Bale's best performance. The plot manages to stick on the main theme which is war, courage, sacrifice..

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

stephen-ny

Jan 12, 2012

Great movie, which tell you a crucial war story from a special point. However, I still can not fee strong logic for those 13 "flowers" to sacrifice their life for others.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Thegodfatherson

May 13, 2013

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One of the ancient ploys of the film industry is to make a film about non-white people and find a way, however convoluted, to tell it from the point of view of a white character. "The Help" (2011) is a recent example: The film is essentially about how poor, hard-working black maids in Mississippi empowered a young white woman to write a best-seller about them. "Glory" (1989) is about a Civil War regiment of black soldiers; the story is seen through the eyes of their white commander.
One of the last places you'd expect to see this practice is in a Chinese film. But what else can we make of Zhang Yimou's "The Flowers of War"? It takes place during the Rape of Nanking (1937-38), one of the most horrifying atrocities in history, during which the Imperial Japanese Army invaded the Chinese capital city and slaughtered an estimated 300,000 civilians, usually raping the women first. It is one thing for civilians to die in the course of a war, and another for them to be hunted down and wiped out on a personal basis for the crime of their race.
Now we have the first fiction film about this event by one of the leading Chinese directors, who contrives to tell it through the experiences of a drunken American mortician named John Miller (Christian Bale). This man finds himself in Nanking at the time, misses a chance to escape the city and ends up hiding out in a huge Catholic cathedral, which is theoretically neutral ground.
Also sheltered in the cathedral are about 25 young Chinese women, divided between schoolgirls and prostitutes. Miller is a mess in the early scenes of the film, but slowly he pulls himself together, sobers up, dresses in a priest's vestments and takes on the responsibility of protecting the women. He's assisted by a young man named George (Huang Tianyuan), whose owlish spectacles and little cap make him look ineffectual and set him up for heroism.
The cathedral is surrounded by Japanese troops, who occupy the whole city and are now routinely shooting all civilians on sight. For the time being, those inside the walls of the cathedral grounds are safe, but to leave means the certainty of death. Miller's improvisations and quick thinking, and the partial cooperation of a Japanese officer who loves music and is therefore not all evil, you see, keeps the women alive, despite some close calls. This episodic cliffhanging sustains the narrative; a third of a million may be dead, but for our purposes, all depends on the survival of these young women, and the redemption of the alcoholic American. Do you get my drift?
Spoiler warning: The Japanese outside the cathedral know about the schoolchildren but not about the hookers in the wine cellar. The music-loving Japanese officer invites the girls to come and sing at a party for his staff. It is virtually certain this will lead to their rape and murder. The prostitutes have also undergone a process of redemption and now, no longer crass and self-serving, they nobly volunteer to switch clothing with the girls and take their places. Then it will be up to "Father John" to somehow save the students.
"The Flowers of War" is in many ways a good film, as we expect from Zhang Yimou ("Ju Dou," "Raise the Red Lantern," "To Live"). It is handsomely photographed. Its exteriors were apparently shot on sets, including an impressive one for the cathedral and its surrounding grounds. Christian Bale grows tiresome as a drunk, but then straightens up and is an adequate hero, although lacking in depth and background. Yu Mo, the leader of the prostitutes, is played in a effective heart-of-gold way by Ni Ni. Huang Tianyuan is good as George, but there is never a danger of him stealing a scene.
Now let me ask you: Can you think of any reason the character John Miller is needed to tell his story? Was any consideration given to the possibility of a Chinese priest? Would that be asking for too?… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MorriBey

Jan 11, 2012

I gave up after 10 minutes. Imagine Nanking(2007) with the flippant humour of an Indian Jones movie and you have , in essence, this sorry sorry excuse for a movie. Its awful. I am embarrassed for the director . And i can only imagine how Mr Bale feels. Its actually a bit disturbing how theI gave up after 10 minutes. Imagine Nanking(2007) with the flippant humour of an Indian Jones movie and you have , in essence, this sorry sorry excuse for a movie. Its awful. I am embarrassed for the director . And i can only imagine how Mr Bale feels. Its actually a bit disturbing how the death of children can be inter-mixed with humour. I feel somewhat disgusted by the movie and i can only hope that it quickly disappears and will not be for general release.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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