City of Life and Death (2009): Cast, Box Office & Plot
City of Life and Death is a 2009 historical drama directed by Lu Chuan, starring Liu Ye as Lu Jianxiong, Yisui Zhao and Hideo Nakaizumi. It runs 2 hours 12 minutes and earned $10.7 million worldwide on a $12 million budget.
- worldwide gross
- $10.7M
- budget
- $12M
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 12m (132 min)
- Director
- Lu Chuan
- Original language
-
Chinese - Studio
- China Film Group Corporation
- Budget
- $12M
- 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.
Set in 1937 during the Second Sino‑Japanese War, it follows the Imperial Japanese Army’s capture of Nanjing, then the capital of the Republic of China. The story depicts the six‑week Nanking Massacre—also called the Rape of Nanking—when tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians were brutally killed, revealing the horror of the occupation.
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
City of Life and Death Cast & Characters
Liu Ye leads the cast as Lu Jianxiong, with Yisui Zhao as Shunzi and Hideo Nakaizumi as Kadokawa. Directed by Lu Chuan; 18 actors are credited in all.
- Director Lu Chuan
- Liu Ye as Lu Jianxiong
- Yisui Zhao as Shunzi
- Hideo Nakaizumi as Kadokawa
- Liu Bin as Xiao Dou
Also Starring in City of Life and Death
· 14 more- John Paisley John Rabe
- Jiang Yiyan Jiang Xiang Jun / Xiao Jiang
- Yuko Miyamoto Yuriko
- Fan Wei Mr. Tang
- Kai Wang Tang Family Nanny
- Qin Lan Mrs. Tang
- Ryu Kohata Officer Osamu Ida
- Beverly Peckous Minnie Vautrin
- Junichi Kajioka Mr. Tomita
- Gao Yuanyuan Miss Jiang
- Sam Voutas Durdin
- Yao Di Zhou Xiaomei / May
- Asano Nagahide Higashiguchi
- Aisling Dunne Doctor
More from Lu Chuan
More films directed by Lu Chuan: Bureau 749 and Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe.
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 5-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
City of Life and Death unfolds in 1937, amidst the unsettling backdrop of the Imperial Japanese Army’s takeover of Nanjing, the capital of the Republic of China. This harrowing period is commonly referred to as the Nanjing Massacre, characterized by the mass killing of countless Chinese prisoners of war and civilians at the hands of the Japanese military over several weeks.
Full summary
The whole story of City of Life and Death, scene by scene
City of Life and Death Box Office & Budget
City of Life and Death grossed $10.7 million worldwide on a $12 million budget, 89% of what it cost. $122,558 came from the US and Canada and $10.6 million (99%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$10.7M
89% of its budget back
- US & Canada
- $122.6K
- International
- $10.6M
- Budget
- $12M
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 the film 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, Don’t Cry, Nanking and Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre.
City of Life and Death FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, 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 April 22, 2009.
Who directed City of Life and Death?
City of Life and Death was directed by Lu Chuan.
More films by Lu Chuan Who is in the cast of City of Life and Death?
City of Life and Death stars Liu Ye as Lu Jianxiong, Yisui Zhao as Shunzi and Hideo Nakaizumi as Kadokawa, among 18 credited actors.
How much did City of Life and Death make at the box office?
City of Life and Death grossed $10.7 million worldwide ($122,558 domestic, $10.6 million international) on a budget of $12 million.
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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