Earlier this week, "Dead to Rights," a heart-stirring movie about the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, was screened in Los Angeles. It recounts how ordinary people risked their lives to preserve photographic evidence of Japanese war crimes, underscoring the sharp contrast between cruelty and enormous bravery.
"Strongly recommended. Everyone should see the new movie 'Dead to Right'. It's an incredible piece of education about the Nanjing Massacre. Too many people here in the West are unfamiliar with the horrors of what happened in 1937. Actually, it reminded me of 'Schindler's List.' It left me shattered, kind of devastated..."
"It is not only a Chinese movie but also a documentary. People in peacetime need to know this history. The cruelty of war, the trauma it brought to ordinary people, and the tragic dehumanization of fascism cannot be concealed or forgotten."
These are comments I heard or read from some viewers.
I couldn't hold back my tears during the movie. Glancing around the theater, I saw others wiping their eyes — some even openly sobbing. It had been years since a movie moved me so deeply. The harrowing story of survival and resistance struck me silent: infants killed under bayonets, girls forced to become "comfort women," rivers running blood red... The atrocities seared into my memory, leaving me speechless.
This horrendous chapter of WWII history, however, is not well known in the world beyond Asia.
In 1994, American writer Iris Chang came across an exhibition featuring images of the Nanjing Massacre in Cupertino, California. One photo was particularly striking to her: a river clogged with the corpses of hundreds of Chinese civilians. The unexpected encounter introduced her to the tragedy. Deeply shocked by how little this atrocity was known in the U.S., she began an exhaustive research, documenting this overlooked chapter of WWII history with unflinching prose.
In 1995, she flew to Nanjing, where she collected historical documents and diary entries, and interviewed survivors of the massacre. After over two years of meticulous research and fieldwork, she published "The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II" in December 1997.
Her work made sure the victims and survivors of Nanjing would not be forgotten, securing the massacre's place in history. The book became an unexpected bestseller, topping the New York Times bestseller list for 10 weeks and selling over half a million copies. It reshaped how Americans see World War II, exposing the war's devastating impact in Asia.
Iris Chang said during an interview, "I want 'The Rape of Nanking' to penetrate public consciousness. Unless we truly understand how these atrocities can happen, we can't be certain that they won't happen again."
"Dead to Rights" serves this same vital purpose. Eight decades later, some stories demand retelling, so that the memories never fade. The Nanjing Massacre must not be brushed aside.
To mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, lessons from history must be learned, the outcomes of WWII must be defended, and the atrocities must never be allowed to recur. This is the best way to truly honor those fallen heroes who gave their lives upholding freedom, justice, and peace.
(The author is an international affairs analyst specializing in China-U.S. relations.)
