The Flowers of War
Row 1 Entertainment | Release Date: December 21, 2011
7.2
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 78 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
53
Mixed:
18
Negative:
7
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
8
stephen-nyJan 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
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7
frozenpinkyJul 17, 2012
Don't go into this hoping it's an action flick. This is not a "Hero" or "House of Flying Daggers" martial arts/Wuxia flick. And just because it's a "war movie" doesn't mean it has to be non-stop action. Saving Private Ryan is mostly dramaDon't go into this hoping it's an action flick. This is not a "Hero" or "House of Flying Daggers" martial arts/Wuxia flick. And just because it's a "war movie" doesn't mean it has to be non-stop action. Saving Private Ryan is mostly drama with an under current of action, and so is this. If you want action, watch a Michael Bay movie or a Jason Stathom flick. This is a Zhang Yimou movie (Curse of the Golden Flower, The Road Home...etc) so it's going to mostly be about drama, as it should. It's a film about the relationship between an American mortician (Christian Bale), teenage Chinese school girls, and Chinese prostitutes learning to respect one another during the Japanese invasion of China, and it's done so in a beautiful sort of melodramatic way. Hiding in a church, we take a journey with the characters as they get to know one another under stressful, war-time tension. I was surprised when learning that Christian Bale would be play the American mortician, but he seemed to be more believable than I expected. It's worth a viewing, especially if you're a fan of Zhang Yimou's work.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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10
LILINICEDec 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 storyI 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
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0
heloheJan 9, 2012
wtf, all those "10" reviews are written by the exact same person, just look at the bad english. They aren't even reviews, I would consider them spam. That is why I give 0 points to the film, let say for bad marketing practices. Oh and by thewtf, all those "10" reviews are written by the exact same person, just look at the bad english. They aren't even reviews, I would consider them spam. That is why I give 0 points to the film, let say for bad marketing practices. Oh and by the way the review that says "contains spoilers" doesn't even mention anything from the film at all.… Expand
2 of 6 users found this helpful24
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0
MorriBeyJan 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 MrI 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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1
jzlthsswJan 9, 2012
Sounds like we got over here a bunch of hardcore fans of Zhang Yimou from his home country, or Chna boosters in general. It's really not that good a movie. Evidently director Zhang tried extremely hard to appease the western critics in orderSounds like we got over here a bunch of hardcore fans of Zhang Yimou from his home country, or Chna boosters in general. It's really not that good a movie. Evidently director Zhang tried extremely hard to appease the western critics in order to win an Oscar but the end result is both shallow and obvious.… Expand
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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10
lexi0125Aug 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
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10
horatio2012Jan 11, 2012
I think this film reflects a compelling story of China. The director made â
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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9
wangJan 14, 2012
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0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
GGHJan 28, 2012
The Flowers of War: The story happened in a church where is closest to God, the cruelty of war and the goodness of humanity exhibited... kinetic battle scenes, beautiful photography and impressive performances, sad result but inspiring andThe Flowers of War: The story happened in a church where is closest to God, the cruelty of war and the goodness of humanity exhibited... kinetic battle scenes, beautiful photography and impressive performances, sad result but inspiring and unforgettable! I have to say this is an amazing movie!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
kahnFeb 9, 2012
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It is a good chinese film.Best director,best Actor,best Screenwriter.I moved by the film deeply!The film expresses braveï¼… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
MissEightiesDec 16, 2012
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Donner 10 à un film est toujours mal vu. Mais moi je me dis, si j'ai adorée le film, s'il m'a touché, si je n'y ai pas trouvé de longueur et que j'en aurais demandé plus...voilà quelques raison pourquoi je donne 10. Dans ce film dont les images ne sont pas facile à regarder, où les balles traversent les corps et les têtes...certaines scènes démontrent un grand côté artistique, voire la beauté à travers le drame, la scène qui me vient en tête est celle que les filles de joies s'enroulent dans les draps blancs, elles tournent sur elles-mêmes, en même temps, tel une performance de ballet. Lorsque les filles laissent tomber à tour de rôle un miroir qui éclate en fracats par terre au ralenti. Tout au long du film il y a des intrigues et des revirements de situation. Les actrices asiatiques m'ont particulièrement touchées. Vraiment, ce film est magnique.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
nate8Feb 5, 2013
-sacking of Nanking characterized by historical reference to rape -clever plot structure juxtaposing highly sexual prostitutes and asexual church students, depicts some harsh realities but omits some scenes rather than going overboard for-sacking of Nanking characterized by historical reference to rape -clever plot structure juxtaposing highly sexual prostitutes and asexual church students, depicts some harsh realities but omits some scenes rather than going overboard for shock value -could have done more to reflect political positions in control, sale, experience, and morals in sexuality of characters (see Lust Caution) -beautifully shot war scenes and costume -American (Bale) and Japanese were stereotyped caricatures -characters not developed and background facts haphazardly added without connection to plot… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
ThegodfathersonMay 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
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10
NFWJun 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-warThere 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.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
KostieOct 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 themeA 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..… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
DawdlingPoetNov 21, 2021
This film features some nice, colourful visual imagery at times (including moments of scenes centering on the churches bright stained glass windows and bright clothing) but there is also a fair amount of jerky/shaky camerawork, making it feelThis film features some nice, colourful visual imagery at times (including moments of scenes centering on the churches bright stained glass windows and bright clothing) but there is also a fair amount of jerky/shaky camerawork, making it feel rather disorientating and the Chinese ladies are somewhat infuriatingly argumentative, to start with. As the plot developed, I admired the actions of the main character, John Miller. Knowing that he's played by Christian Bale, I did find myself thinking it seemed perhaps a little ironic that someone well known for playing sometimes somewhat psychopathic killers, would play the hero but then again, he has played Batman and he's a good guy (right?).

This is undoubtedly a gritty, grim, war based film. Its pretty tense and fairly engrossing, with a fair amount of bloody violence (some scenes played in slow motion to show the detail of where bullets hit, the trajectory etc.). I suppose it does give you a rough idea of what it may have been like at the time the film is set in - its certainly supposed to be (if only partly) based on true events, I assume - there's some text explaining the context of the situation we witness, provided at the start of the film. I gather the film is based on a novel but I assume there is a certain element of truth to it, regardless. I wouldn't know enough to be able to confirm or deny that as such though.

It surprised me how the tone and pace of the film changed quite so quick at times. I suppose it is more thoughtful (in terms of dialogue) than other big action war films, mainly occupied in special effects. I found the Chinese women gave very good performances, showing their sadness and other emotions quite convincingly. Its quite poignant at times. Due to this and the scenes which are more thought provoking and perhaps even somewhat philosophical (to an extent), I would recommend this film, yes.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
ESquadDec 7, 2020
We shall never forget the history, the reality is 100 times worse than what you see in the movie.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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