Videovista have my review of Florian Gallenberger’s John Rabe, which has been released in the UK under the decidedly sexier title City of God.
The film arrives on DVD hot on the heels of Lu Chuan’s film about the Nanjing Massacre entitled City of Life and Death (2009), which got a cinema release earlier this year. However, where Lu Chuan’s film is moving and powerful, Gallenberger’s is anaemic and unintentionally comic. Pity really as the cast and production values are really quite good.
Ruthless Culture 
Greatest. Cover. Ever.
Except for being utterly misleading. I saw the cover and expected pulp action, instead it’s a rather worthy history/biopic.
I don’t wholly get the thinking behind that. Essentially the cover becomes a tool to sell the film to those who won’t enjoy it while putting off those who may. It’s hard to imagine something more cynical.
Well, it’s not, but it is still pretty damn cynical.
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I don’t understand it in the least, but it is in hilarious bad taste. The Valhalla Rising one is ever weirder though as I think there will be quite a few disappointed purchasers of the DVD.
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