Of the many atrocities that occurred in the 20th century, the Nanking Massacre, aka the "Rape of Nanking," appears to get relatively little press here. Yes, every Chinese person already knows about it, from the generation who were alive at that time to the children and grandchildren they've passed the stories on to, and it has tainted the view of the Japanese for large portions of the Chinese population for decades now. But some of us who have watched our elders curse all things Japanese -- while reluctantly and ironically conceding that so many of the products they use are of Japanese origin -- would welcome a dose of perspective. For everyone else, awareness of this 1937 event would be equally as welcome.

Nanking provides both: awareness and perspective are at the top of its agenda. The documentary attempts to mute sensationalism through its storytelling approach -- letters and testimonials from the event are read by actors (many of them famous, which is mildly distracting) -- at times accompanying footage taken of the heinous activities. Actual survivors of the massacre also give their accounts of what happened to them and their families. All of this is quite straightforward -- the movie nimbly combines stories and images. Even the survivors don't feel as if they're embellishing their accounts for the sake of drama. They're almost journalistic, but they do succumb to extreme emotion and sadness, which is all the embellishment their tales require. Almost surprisingly, the film also includes accounts by Japanese soldiers who were there, adding balance to its approach.

All of this might seem as if the filmmakers were interested in muting the anger and hysterics that usually go along with recalling the massacre, but that may be because they realize the stories speak for themselves. The accounts here are absolutely frightening, revolting to the bone. One wonders about the darkness that might reside in the core of all humanity if people are capable of such terrible things. The Japanese appeared to have attacked Shanghai and then Nanking (these days, the city is referred to as "Nanjing," but I'll use "Nanking" here for consistency's sake) as a normal action of war, but what their military did in addition to that defies sense. It constituted a medieval disregard for fellow human lives that easily rivals the cold blackness of Hitler's Holocaust. In particular, its monstrousness is enhanced due to its massive violation of innocent women.

The other story emerging here also parallels stories from the Holocaust, such as that of Oskar Schindler. We find out a handful of Westerners living in Nanking, many of them missionaries, decided to stay when they could have easily fled the country, in order to help the victimized Chinese. In one of life's ironies, one such savior happened to be a Nazi: John Rabe helped set up the "Nanking Safety Zone," where civilians could find shelter from the marauding Japanese army. That army found ways to violate the zone anyhow, but Rabe, who used his party status to command political respect from the invaders, and his fellow foreigners are credited with creating a resistance that may have prevented countless more lives from being lost.

Part of the controversy surrounding the Nanking Massacre involves how the Japanese government to this day denies the degree of inhumanity their military dealt during the event; some may say they deny acknowledgement of the event all together. It makes a film like Nanking all the more important. As a mass-media document, it serves its purpose of bringing awareness; in being relatively objective in its approach, it also brings perspective. And just the same, some of the stories and images here are simply, shakingly unforgettable. That, more than anything else, gives Nanking its meaning. The punch it delivers to the gut of viewers indicates the documentary makes the kind of impact it was seeking. By watching this film, we understand the event did happen -- and we lament the depths of the darkness it exposes.

(Released by THINKFilm and rated "R" for disturbing images and descriptions of wartime atrocities.)

Review also posted at www.windowtothemovies.com.