City of Life and Death (2011): Ratings & Plot
City of Life and Death is a 2011 historical drama directed by Chuan Lu. It runs 2 hours 12 minutes. Critics gave it 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and 85 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.7/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 12m (132 min)
- Director
- Chuan Lu
- Original language
-
Chinese - Studio
- Kino International
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is City of Life and Death About?
The premise of City of Life and Death without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
During the Japanese Imperial Army's siege of Nanking in December 1937, unimaginable terror unfolded, resulting in the tragic loss of up to 300,000 lives within a span of six weeks. This film powerfully reimagines this dark period in modern Asian history, presenting a stark and unflinching portrayal of the events. Shot in striking black-and-white Cinemascope, it offers a cinematic exploration of the siege and its devastating consequences.
City of Life and Death Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- world war two
- chinese history
- japanese occupation of china
- china
- 1930s
- violence
- thrown out a window
- japanese occupation
- japanese flag
- chinese army
- japanese army
- war crime
+38 more Show fewer
- nanjing china
- japanese
- japanese soldier
- year 1938
- brutality
- battle
- chinese
- street shootout
- combat
- drummer
- drum
- death of daughter
- woman disguised as a man
- church
- condom
- boy
- boy soldier
- father daughter relationship
- cigarette smoking
- war atrocity
- children
- chinese soldier
- expatriate
- military uniform
- female rear nudity
- sex scene
- atrocity
- horseback riding
- martial arts
- brawl
- shootout
- gunfight
- sword fight
- kissing while having sex
- hand to hand combat
- fish
- canned food
- starving
The Director of City of Life and Death
Directed by Chuan Lu.
-
Director Chuan Lu
More from Chuan Lu
More films directed by Chuan Lu, best-rated first: Mountain Patrol and Born in China.
City of Life and Death Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave City of Life and Death 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and 85 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.7/10.
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IMDb 7.7 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 92% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 86%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 85 Metascore
User score 8.0
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 74% User score
See on TMDB
City of Life and Death Plot Summary
What happens in City of Life and Death from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
City of Life and Death transports us to 1937, a pivotal moment shortly after the onset of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Imperial Japanese Army has captured Nanjing (or Nanking), the capital of the Republic of China, marking the beginning of the tragic events known historically as the Nanking Massacre. During these harrowing weeks, countless Chinese prisoners-of-war and civilians face horrific fates at the hands of the Japanese military.
In the midst of this chaos, a brave Chinese soldier, Lieutenant Lu Jianxiong (Liu Ye), along with his comrade Shunzi (Gao Yuanyuan), endeavor to thwart a group of deserting troops who plan to abandon the city, but their mission is cut short when they are captured by Japanese forces encircling Nanjing.
Full summary
The whole story of City of Life and Death, scene by scene
City of Life and Death Trailers & Videos
The trailer of City of Life and Death.
How Well Do You Know City of Life and Death?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
In what year does 'City of Life and Death' take place?
Seen City of Life and Death?
Movies Like City of Life and Death
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including City of Life and Death, Nanking and Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre.
City of Life and Death FAQ: Runtime, Release Date & Director
Runtime, release date, director, ratings, post-credit scenes and language of City of Life and Death, each answered in a sentence.
How long is City of Life and Death?
City of Life and Death runs 2 hours 12 minutes (132 minutes).
When was City of Life and Death released?
City of Life and Death was released on May 11, 2011.
Who directed City of Life and Death?
City of Life and Death was directed by Chuan Lu.
More films by Chuan Lu How is City of Life and Death rated?
City of Life and Death has 7.7/10 on IMDb, 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, 85 on Metacritic and 74% on TMDB.
Does City of Life and Death have a post-credit scene?
No. City of Life and Death has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is City of Life and Death in?
The original language of City of Life and Death is Chinese.
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