OK, lets take a bit of a different take on events in Asia during the early part of World War II....
The Japanese are rolling through China and Manchuria in 1937, and to top it off, China itself has its own problems between the Communists and the Partisans....
Caught in the middle are a group of children holed up in an orphanage. By a twist of fate, they and their part-time attendant Ms. Pearson (Radha Mitchell) are brought together with an English journalist, George Hogg (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and Chinese partisan Chen Hansheng (Chow Yun-Fat).
As Hogg is thrust into the role of taking care of these children, it becomes clear that they must abandon their orphanage and head for neutral territory. But this means marching on foot across some rather difficult terrain, and through Japanese and hostile Chinese outposts. The journey, as they say, is more than the destination, and this film proves it spectactularly.
OK, so maybe its not a "war movie" in the traditional sense. But it is still a damn fine film regardless. It's complex and engaging in about every way I can think of, it'll make you laugh, cry, cringe, and think about an aspect of the war that we in the west don't very often.
The Children of Huang Shi will probably never get the real respect it deserves, and thats unfortunate. Check it out when you get the chance! Here's the trailer....
The Children of Huang Shi (2008) on Spout.com
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