{"id":74813,"date":"2025-08-21T23:48:59","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T06:48:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=74813"},"modified":"2025-08-22T00:00:22","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T07:00:22","slug":"dongji-rescue-review-a-monumental-wwii-epic-with-chinese-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=74813","title":{"rendered":"Dongji Rescue Review: A Monumental WWII Epic with Chinese Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Richard Ren \/ Art Critic & Freelance Writer \/ LAPost<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Los Angeles \u2014 August 21<\/strong> \u2014 At AMC Monterey Park, I attended a special screening of Dongji Rescue <\/em>with friends, a sweeping World War II epic that premiered in China earlier this month and will open in U.S. cinemas on August 22.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Forgotten Story Brought to the Screen<\/span><\/h3>\n

Co-directed by Guan Hu (The Eight Hundred<\/em>) and Fei Zhenxiang, Dongji Rescue<\/em> revisits the long-obscured Lisbon Maru incident of 1942. After a Japanese transport ship carrying more than 1,800 British prisoners of war was torpedoed off China\u2019s Zhoushan Archipelago, survivors were left to drown as Japanese forces opened fire on those struggling in the water. Against orders and at great personal risk, humble fishermen from Dongji Island launched small wooden boats and rescued over 300 POWs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike Fang Li\u2019s 2023 documentary The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru<\/em>, which primarily focused on Allied accounts, this feature shifts perspective to the Chinese villagers. It explores not just their courage but also their moral reckoning: should they risk annihilation to save strangers, or protect their families under brutal occupation?<\/span><\/p>\n

Voices from Hollywood<\/span><\/h3>\n

Acclaimed Chinese-American filmmaker Qi Binying<\/strong> described the film as \u201cdeeply moving and profoundly shocking.\u201d She noted that the narrative avoids bombastic nationalist tropes, instead unfolding through intimate character transformations. \u201cThe brother who first opposes the rescue is eventually moved by his sibling\u2019s compassion \u2014 it\u2019s human change, not propaganda,\u201d she observed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Qi praised Ni Ni\u2019s performance<\/strong> as a woman who grows from the margins into defiance and courage. \u201cTraditionally, women weren\u2019t allowed to sail or fish, but her character breaks that taboo under occupation. When she smashes her stepfather\u2019s idol and declares, \u2018We must rely on ourselves,\u2019 it\u2019s a moment of raw, unforgettable power.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hollywood\u2019s younger voices echoed this sentiment. Director Tanxuan Shi<\/strong> singled out the IMAX visuals and water cinematography<\/strong> as \u201ca bold leap for Chinese filmmaking \u2014 technically astonishing, yet deeply human.\u201d He urged more IMAX screenings abroad, \u201cbecause this is a film that demands the biggest canvas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Technical Triumphs<\/span><\/h3>\n

With an $80 million budget and IMAX cameras, Dongji Rescue<\/em> delivers both scale and intimacy. The filmmakers deploy stunning underwater photography \u2014 still rare in Chinese cinema \u2014 that transforms the hold of the Lisbon Maru into a suffocating, coffin-like space.<\/span><\/p>\n

The storm-lashed rescue sequence, staged with whirlpools swallowing ships whole, represents one of the most ambitious logistical feats in recent Chinese blockbusters. Editors Yang Hongyu and Li Weiwen balance chaos with clarity, while Atli \u00d6rvarsson\u2019s score surges with emotional force.<\/span><\/p>\n

Performances that Humanize the Epic<\/span><\/h3>\n

At its heart are two brothers: Abi (Zhu Yilong)<\/strong>, the restless fisherman, and Adang (Wu Lei)<\/strong>, the younger sibling whose compassion sparks the island\u2019s turning point. Their relationship grounds the narrative in emotion, making the epic personal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ni Ni<\/strong>, as Abi\u2019s lover Ahua, evolves into the film\u2019s moral spine, while veteran Ni Dahong<\/strong> adds gravity as the patriarch Old Wu. British actor William Franklyn-Miller<\/strong> lends poignancy as POW Thomas Newman, bridging cultures through shared humanity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Strengths and Weaknesses<\/span><\/h3>\n

If the film falters, it is in pacing. The first act lingers on island life, subplots that enrich texture but slow momentum. Yet when the film crests into the rescue itself, the emotional and visual payoff is immense.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond Borders<\/span><\/h3>\n

At a time when Chinese cinema is reaching outward, Dongji Rescue<\/em> resonates as more than spectacle \u2014 it is cultural memory in motion. By foregrounding Chinese fishermen, it restores agency to overlooked heroes of WWII.<\/span><\/p>\n

As one critic reflected during the screening: \u201cSome stories, if China does not tell them, may vanish forever.\u201d Now, they are not only being told but projected across oceans, connecting audiences through shared reflection on war, humanity, and moral choice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verdict<\/span><\/h3>\n

Dongji Rescue<\/em> is more than a blockbuster; it is a cinematic monument to bravery, solidarity, and human conscience. Despite occasional narrative sprawl, its artistry and emotional gravity secure it a place among the most significant Chinese war films to reach American screens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rating: \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606 (4\/5)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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