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The historic trial of Japanese war criminals in Tokyo at the end of World War II is brought into sharp focus in director Gao Qunshu's much-lauded debut feature film Tokyo Trial. 　　

 

Mainstream Chinese films often confront a serious dilemma: They win high praise from the critics, but don't generate much interest from the ordinary audience, especially not the young. 　　

 

However, the conundrum is likely to change with Tokyo Trial, a historical movie by young director Gao Qunshu, which is scheduled for screenings nationwide on Friday. Six of the main theater chains in China will screen the film. 　　

 

When the movie was presented at the 9th Shanghai International Film Festival in June, at the end of the film the cinema was filled with applause. 　　

 

"Actually 'uninteresting' and 'insipid' should not be the words to describe mainstream films," says Wu Hehu, deputy director of Shanghai United Cinema Lines, the city's largest cinema chain. "Tokyo Trial has wonderful montage sequences and artistry. It proves that the genre can be both educative and attractive." 　　

 

Wu reveals that there will be more than 20 copies of the film in Shanghai alone, and local cinemas are eager to create prime-time space for this highly acclaimed historical picture, which is usually reserved for Hollywood blockbusters. 　　

 

Director Gao is thrilled by the news. Tokyo Trial is his feature film debut after gaining a reputation for the realistic TV dramas he has created, including Conquest and The Thirteen Murders. 　　

 

"I used to doubt if today's audience could still accept a film that confronts such a serious topic, especially after seeing so many entertaining mega-productions," Gao says. "But the encouraging feedback from audiences and distributors has reignited my passion in this field." 　　

 

The film recounts the trial of top Japanese war criminals at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East 60 years ago. Eighty percent of the dialogue of the tribunal was in English and Japanese as it is in the film, adding to the film's international flavor. 　　

 

Different from many other mainstream Chinese pictures, director Gao has included two storylines in the film: how Mei Ru'ao, the only Chinese judge at the tribunal, maintains China's dignity and status on the international stage; and the incredible pain that an ordinary Japanese family suffers through the war. 　　

 

The star-studded cast includes Hong Kong veterans Damian Lau and Kenneth Tsang, who play the Chinese judge and prosecutor respectively, Chinese mainland comedy star Ying Da and Taiwanese heartthrob Ken Zhu. The film also involved Japanese, American and Canadian actors. 　　

 

"I had thought that the Japanese actors would turn down the roles as war criminals in this historical movie, but they accepted and have presented a professional performance," director Gao recalls, adding that "only a small batch of Japanese politicians are to blame for the war and Japan's militarism, and a lot of Japanese people were very anti-war." 　

 

The movie had an estimated budget of 30 million yuan (US$3.75 million). Director Gao reveals that he borrowed 5 million yuan to finish the film when financial problems emerged. 　　

 

"They (his TV serial producers) agreed to lend me the money largely because my former TV dramas all performed well financially," Gao says with a chuckle, adding that he has to shoot more TV dramas later in order to pay back the loan. 　　

 

To research the authentic historical scenes, Gao has referred to numerous first-hand footage of the trial, including varied versions of video shot by the Japanese and Dutch press of that time. He found a valuable trial diary in Japan, which recounts its heated debates. Under the lens of the camera, even the details of the actor's costumes and gestures at the tribunal strictly follow the historical evidence. 　　

 

Gao's endeavors really paid off. Shanghai Film Group Corp (SFG), one of the movie's producing companies, has prepared more than 200 copies of the movie for its national screening. Several Japanese cinema chains have also bought the rights to publish it overseas. 　　

 

Owing to its high historical value, China National Film Museum and Nanjing Massacre Museum also have plans to include the film in their collections. 　　

 

"A recent survey shows that 70 percent of Japanese adults don't know the contents of Tokyo Trial, while 19 percent haven't even heard of it," Director Gao says with regret. "The youngsters in China don't know that episode in history well, either. I just feel responsible to arouse people's interest in that important period in history. History should never be forgotten." 　　

 

Some Japanese audiences were also moved by the historical facts contained in the picture. 　　

 

A Japanese girl says on Gao's personal blog: "Though I didn't experience the war, I can fully understand many Chinese people's anger towards Japan. In fact, not every Japanese in that era was in favor of the war. My parents, who were then children, lived quite tough lives due to the war. The film encourages us to reflect on the past and cherish the present peace." 　　

 

What Gao wants to express through the clip is not hatred, but love and the aspiration for perpetual peace. In the eyes of some film insiders, it's a miracle that the film gained approval for screening from official censors. None of its scenes were cut, even though it centers on a very sensitive subject. 　　

 

"I was largely inspired by the movie," says acclaimed film artist Xie Jin. "It combines the characteristics of documentary and film art. I see new hope for Chinese cinema through this picture." 　　

 

Another veteran Shanghai director Huang Shuqin also speaks highly of the film's rhythm. 　　

 

"You know, this topic is not an easy subject for a filmmaker," Huang notes. "This kind of picture was so likely to become a simple condemnation of Japanese war criminals. Luckily the director plays an important, even-handed and objective role in portraying this part of history to the audience and in so doing fully demonstrates the power of justice and law." 　　

 

Behind the Tokyo Trial 　　

 

The "famous" Tokyo Trial lasted two and a half years, from May 1946 to the November of 1948. 　　

 

All Japanese Class-A war criminals were tried by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE) in Tokyo. The prosecution team was made up of justices from 11 allied nations: Australia, Canada, China, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines and the former Soviet Union. 　　

 

During the Tokyo Trial, the Nanjing Massacre was treated as one unique example of the atrocities committed in Asia. Numerous eye-witness accounts of the massacre were provided by Chinese civilian survivors and Western nationals living in Nanjing at that time. 　　

 

However, the horrific events of the Nanjing Massacre have never been emphasized in Japanese history textbooks. Two (Yosuke Matsuoka and Osami Nagano) of the 28 defendants died of natural causes during the Tokyo Trial. One defendant (Shumei Okawa) had a mental breakdown on the first day of the trial and was sent to a psychiatric ward. He was released in 1948 a free man. 　　

 

The remaining 25 were all found guilty, many on multiple counts. Seven, including Hideki Tojo and Kenji Doihara, were sentenced to death by hanging, 16 to life imprisonment, and two to lesser terms.

 

(Shanghai Daily August 28, 2006)