After twenty days of continuous bombing,
Nanking finally fell to the Japanese.
It was December the 13th, 1937.
My classmates and I couldn't get on the boat,
we had to run back to the church,
and were separated in the heavy fog along the way.
Major Li only had a few men left.
Nanking was no longer able to put up a fight,
and those left behind ran for their lives.
Stop counting.
Shu and two others are missing.
Let us in!
There's no room!
Find your own place to hide!
I said, there's no more room!
Let's go.
Keep going!
Hey.
There are people inside.
- Who is there? - Come out!
Come out!
Bastards!
Go to hell!
Stop!
Turn around!
Don't move!
What?
Raise your hands!
I said raise your hands!
You...
I'm
going to...
Where? Where?
Peng, move to the flank,
prepare to engage.
Damn it, are you deaf?
Major Li,
we are the last ones left.
We should leave the city now.
- Keep fighting. - Yes, sir.
Got you!
- Let's go. - Yes, sir.
That way!
Because Major Li's men were so outnumbered,
almost all of them were killed.
They could have fled the city and returned home.
Instead, they sacrificed their lives for us.
This was the last battle in Nanking,
and its story has been passed down
from generation to generation.
Zhen!
Let me go!
Zhen!
Zhen didn't even make a noise.
Even when they stabbed her over and over,
yet she didn't make a noise.
It's all my fault.
It's not your fault.
It is your fault.
Your father promised to take us
on a boat and leave Nanking.
Where is he?
He ran off.
We waited and waited
and now the Japanese are here.
Now the Japanese are everywhere,
and it's too late to go to the refuge.
Zhen died because of your father!
Shut up!
What are you doing? Stop!
Stop fighting!
He's the mortician for Father's funeral.
What a jerk!
I said you are a jerk!
Gu. Open the door, it's Ling.
Can you hear me?
Gu.
Open up.
It's Ling.
- Did you really make a deal with him? - Of course.
Otherwise I wouldn't have brought you here.
Gu.
Open the door, it's Ling.
Gu, have you gone deaf?
Someone's here.
Where's Gu? Ask him to come out.
Go to the refuge on the west side.
Leave now, go to the refuge.
No, we're here for Gu.
- Gu's not here. - Bullshit! Get out of my way!
Gu told me this church is under Western protection.
The Japanese can't come in.
Bastard! I served Gu all night for free.
He promised to let us stay.
Ask that bastard Gu to come out!
- He's really not here. - How come?
He ran off this morning. You should go to the refuge.
We're not leaving.
Hey! How dare you!
Go to the refuge! To the refuge!
The refuge doesn't even have space left for maggots.
Please, have some mercy and let us in.
Don't jump.
They're from the red-light district.
What's that?
It means brothel.
They were the famous women of the Qin Huai River.
The myths surrounding them
were as ancient as the city of Nanking.
That's a Westerner!
Is he a priest?
No way.
What kind of priest would be such a flirt?
Who cares, as long as he can protect us.
True.
These women quickly took over the cellar.
It was once a filthy, messy place,
but within hours,
they had transformed it into the Qin Huai River.
The fragrance of rouge and perfume
danced up through the air.
I can smell the bread. We are coming up!
I couldn't stop them.
Hello.
I remember
when I first saw these women,
they were tramps, parading around in their lingerie,
not the graceful ladies that the legends of Qin Huai
had portrayed them to be.
Look, this should be good.
What's he saying?
How dare you drink the wine!
Now the Westerner knows about the wine.
We sell the wine to raise money for orphans.
We're all orphans.
We also need help.
That's right.
You are not the only ones who speak English!
That's right!
The Westerner is a playboy.
Of course! Haven't you heard?
Westerners with beards are the horniest!
No wonder she is the top girl of the Qin Huai River.
Mo, use all of your skills.
- Seduce him! - That's right.
Make the big nose go crazy for us!
- Yu Mo. - Yu Mo.
Shameless.
What're those two yapping about? Tell me.
Nothing. He's asking your price.
I told him.
He thinks you are too cheap.
Cheers.
The Japanese have posted a notice,
whoever harbors soldiers will be shot.
I'll shoot you first.
Little bastard.
Open up. Carry that guy in.
Get up. Get some water.
Hurry up!
What a temper.
He thinks he's so tough.
He thinks he's a hero.
Since he's fighting the Japanese,
protecting Nanking and women like us,
he feels he is entitled to have a temper.
Women like us need to hide here.
But if he hides here, he's a coward.
- True. - Yeah, what a sissy!
Got scissors?
Thanks.
- You ruined my dress! - Don't touch him!
Save your attitude for the Japs.
They are searching for Chinese soldiers like you.
- You are endangering us! - There are convent girls here, too.
Understand?
Towel.
What a handsome face.
Dou has good taste in men.
I mean he looks like my brother.
Are you hot for him?
No, he really looks like my brother.
You have a crush on him.
No, I don't.
Dou, cool off. He doesn't even have hair down there!
He was homeless, so our troop took him in.
He's called Pu Sheng. He's just a child.
Why are you leaving him with us?
Get some cloth, tighten the bandage
so he won't bleed too much.
It's the best I can do.
I want him to be in a warm place
before he dies.
Thank you.
Please wait.
What do you want?
We have sharp tongues,
and we were very rude.
I hope you can forgive us.
Mo.
Is he the priest?
Does he belong to the church?
You can say that.
Please tell him,
the students can't end up
in the hands of the Japanese.
Otherwise my men would have died
for nothing.
Who's he really?
An idiot. Don't mind him.
Fine, I'll leave now.
You're such a fool!
If it wasn't for your foreign face,
I wouldn't even look at you!
I'll never be into you.
Get off me!
Mo!
That night,
Major Li didn't go far.
He stayed at the paper shop across the street.
I know he could have changed into civilian clothing and fled.
I said you can't go in!
Little sister,
we won't shit or piss in there.
We just want to wash up.
We always wash before bed-time.
Bed-time?
Morning for you is night for us.
- Little sister... - Don't call me sister!
You want to start a fight?
- The bathroom is for people. - You mean we are not people?
You know what you are!
You've got some nerve!
We won't share the bathroom with you!
What a temper!
Sorry, go back to your rat hole.
- What the hell? - She's humiliating us.
She thinks we are filthy.
- Little bitch! - You're the bitch!
Watch your mouth!
Ling, want to see a good fight?
Really? I thought you'd only fight for Mo.
Let's pull down your pants
and see what you are made of.
Don't touch me, you filthy whore!
Let's find out if you really are cleaner than us.
Stop it! It's not fair!
I don't have to hit you, I can just crush you with my butt!
I don't give a damn, I'm going in.
I won't let you go in!
Stop fighting!
What's going on? Stop!
What are you doing? Are you crazy?
We are just kids!
- Hua, that's enough. - No, it's not over!
I won't let you go in!
Japanese!
Go to the cellar. I'll tell the others!
Search the yard!
Split up!
Hurry! Go to the cellar!
Come in, hurry!
Don't shut it, let the girls in.
Let the girls in!
Hurry!
Don't move!
Lieutenant Asakura!
Come over here!
Upstairs!
Hurry!
Let's move the shelves!
There are girls here! Search everywhere!
Capture them alive!
Lieutenant Asakura!
Come up here!
We've got virgins!
Hurry!
Stop!
Girls! Girls!
I'll eat you up.
Chinese soldiers!
Get them!
Let's go!
Assemble outside! Roll call!
Prepare for combat!
The sniper is across the street!
To your left!
It's a trap! Find the enemy!
Damn it!
He's in the building there!
Use the grenades!
Behind us! Fire!
Keep firing!
Hold your fire!
Wait!
Fire!
First platoon to the back gate!
Second platoon to the front gate!
Colonel, he used to work for the traffic department.
Most roads in Nanking are destroyed.
Having him can be useful.
- Speak Japanese? - Yes.
The mountain where we used to chase rabbits
the stream where we used to fish
even today my soul is connected
to my unforgettable hometown
We shouldn't have taken over your cellar.
Sorry.
If we hadn't fought with that girl,
she would still be alive.
This is all our fault.
Thank you.
Did you like it?
I only have one string.
It sound like a beggar's plea. Even worse.
You're Pu Sheng.
Born in the Pu region?
My family is also from there.
When you're healthy,
I'll take you to the biggest dance hall,
to see the prettiest girls.
Thank you.
Little hometown fellow, don't thank me, marry me.
I'll work in the fields with you.
I don't have
fields.
What do you have then?
I don't have anything.
Then I'll play my pipa every day.
When I play, you hold out a bowl.
We'll beg for food and feed your mom.
I don't have a mother.
Everyone in my family is dead.
If you had just come with me,
this wouldn't have happened.
You were so stubborn
and wouldn't leave without your classmates.
How could I have gotten that many boat tickets?
Because of you,
I'm staying in Nanking.
Tell me, what's this?
Explain to me,
why do you do this?
If I don't do this,
I can't survive.
I'm doing this for you.
You must believe me, I would never do anything bad.
Daughter,
I will find a way
to get you out of Nanking.
No wonder there were no boat tickets.
Traitor!
It's rotten.
Sister. Sister.
What are you saying?
Sister...
Hurry...
Pu Sheng, I'm here.
Thunder...
What are you trying to say?
Rain... Rain...
What rain?
It's death weeping for you.
The wheat is drying outside.
Don't let it get soaked.
That was the soldier that the officer brought.
I heard he was about our age.
Which officer?
The officer who saved us that day.
He hid the soldier inside the cellar,
and the women were taking care of him.
Actually those women from the brothel
are not that bad.
Where's Dou?
Lan's missing too.
Really?
Haven't seen them for a while.
Are they still in the cellar?
Have you seen Dou?
Dou and Lan got out.
How? Where did they go?
Dou insisted on getting pipa strings.
She wanted to play the pipa for Pu Sheng.
She said he had a hard life,
and he was like her brother.
She wanted to play something nice for him,
but one string wasn't enough,
she needed three more.
What about Lan? Why did she go?
She said she left her earrings behind.
How could they leave?
The Japanese are guarding the gates.
I don't know how they got out.
They disappeared when it was dark.
Dou said that if she didn't go soon
it would be too late for him.
Why didn't you stop them!
I tried, but it didn't work!
Go!
Officer, is he allowed to leave?
We've been told not to let the girls leave.
But he's the priest.
Take off your coat!
Hurry!
They went that way.
Those are their coats.
Look! Those are young girls' coats!
The girls can't be far.
Oh no, I dropped the strings!
- Forget it. - No, I have to find them.
- Over there! - Don't shoot!
Lan! Lan!
Don't run!
Bitch!
- Go to hell! - We'll deal with her later.
- Let's catch the other one. - Let's go!
Here she is!
Why am I always the last one?
You shouldn't have shot the other girl.
- It's not fair! - Hurry!
Fuck you!
Fuck you all!
Bitch! You bit me!
I'll kill you!
What an idiot! You got bitten!
You can only handle the dead one upstairs!
He said
Dou and Lan were hit by stray bullets,
that they didn't suffer.
Damn Mosquito, her cat ran off.
She went up to look for it.
Haven't I told you?
You can't come out!
They are asking us to sing at a party tomorrow.
I'm not a student.
I don't have to go.
Well, I'm not a student.
- I won't go. - You have to!
The Japanese have counted you!
I don't care. I won't go!
You have to go!
Now you're saying you aren't a student.
Why didn't you tell the Japanese earlier?
Stop staring at me!
Save your attitude for the Japanese!
Do you think the Japanese really invited you to sing?
Dream on!
What do they do all day in Nanking?
They murder, burn,
and rape! You know?
Go ahead and go, but I won't go!
Mosquito, you shut up!
You are all mean to me!
I'm not going!
What are you doing?
Get back in.
You can't leave.
Get back in! Get in there!
What are you doing?
Go back!
I said go back in!
I will be the first.
Remember who's in front of you.
When we go,
we will stick to this order.
Shu, isn't there a better solution?
No.
We won't let the Japanese
hurt us again.
Don't do anything foolish!
So many people have died.
Even hell is packed.
Why should you add to the crowd?
Shu, don't do this.
You can't do this!
We can't just throw our lives away.
Life is a sacred gift.
It's not ours to throw away.
Come up!
Didn't we say we are going to jump together?
Up here!
Come up now!
Listen to me, Shu, I have an idea. I will go in your place.
Tell the girls to get down.
Tomorrow I will go for you.
Did you hear me? I will go in your place!
What? Who is going in whose place?
I will also go for you.
Right, we will all go instead of you. We can handle the Japs.
We will protect you. We will replace you!
Don't worry, you have us to protect you.
Yes, we won't let the Japanese hurt you.
- Do you hear us? - We will go in your place.
Come down and don't jump.
Come down.
We only said it so they would
get down from the tower.
But you shouldn't have lied to them.
Hua, remember? If you weren't lied to,
you wouldn't have ended up in a brothel.
Shut up! Mosquito.
I'm not stupid.
If nobody goes, you'll still have to go.
You were counted by the Japanese!
Unless the Japanese are insane,
I don't think they will kill us.
They just want pleasure.
That's what we do.
We have experienced all kinds of men.
As long as we can get out alive,
we will find a way to survive.
Ling,
how do you expect the girls
to handle the Japanese?
Even if they make it back alive,
they won't be able to carry on.
I just don't think it's worth it.
They wouldn't even let us use the bathroom,
yet, we're supposed to kiss their asses,
and sacrifice ourselves for them?
I don't want to hear your nonsense.
If Shu hadn't diverted the Japs the other day,
where would we all be right now?
Remember how the ancient poem describes us?
"Prostitutes never care about a falling nation,
"they sing and dance while others are dying."
You are not so foolish after all.
I'm impressed.
Mo just taught me those two lines.
Of course we should remember
the poem that criticizes us.
But I think
we should do something heroic
and change the old way of thinking.
Mo,
others say I always follow your lead.
I say we share the same life.
Whatever you say,
I will go with you.
I will go too.
Me too.
Count me in.
Mo,
we worked together for three years,
and you were always more popular than me.
I know
you always looked down on me,
and I never respected you either.
Well,
today I hear you.
I say we all go,
so we can look after each other.
Mo, you are right.
People say,
"whores are heartless."
So tomorrow,
let's do something honorable with our hearts.
We will all go.
I had seen many people pray before,
but that night, the sight of
John's back as he prayed
would stay with me for the rest of my life.
They brought new uniforms.
Our old uniform were torn,
so I brought you new ones.
Father Ingleman wanted us
to wear them for Christmas.
You don't mind me wearing it?
The sleeves are short.
Try it on.
Big sister.
I can't button it up for you.
I'm already skinnier from starvation.
You are not built like a student,
more like a student's wet nurse!
I have an idea.
to fool the Japanese,
let's use the curtains to make the uniforms fit,
and tear up the sheets to wrap our chests
so our boobs won't pop out.
He gave me these bracelets
so I would go with him.
I didn't trust him enough so I didn't.
I should have.
I was so stupid.
You would be even more stupid
wearing them to meet the Japs.
Leave them here.
Fine, they are yours now.
When I was your age,
I had already served countless men.
Little sister,
remember to give this back to me.
I will use the money to buy myself out of my contract.
Big sister, I'm sorry.
Live a good life for me.
I don't have any things of value.
That cat is all I have.
He ran away the other day.
Little sister,
promise me
you will find him.
Okay.
Remember Dou?
She wasn't much taller than you.
Please take good care of it.
This is Dou's life.
She wanted to play "The Qin Huai View,"
and for that she was killed.
"The Qin Huai View."
Is that a beautiful song?
That's our signature song at Jade Paradise.
Why don't we sing it for Dou?
It was her dying wish after all.
Let's sing it for the girls,
so they remember us at our best!
I have a story
and let me put it into song
I hope every one of you
can listen to me patiently
Allow me
to sing the legend of the Qin Huai River
slowly and passionately
for each one of you
Ever since the ancient era
the river has been flowing gracefully.
It is the beauty of the South
the elegance of Nanking
Walk in the famous Zhan Palace
enjoy the spectacular architecture
Look at the Colony of Cranes
with water rippling all around
What a paradise this is.
Wow, Mo!
He can turn back time.
He chopped away five or six years!
Three more chops and we'd all be infants,
so we can start our lives over again!
Have you asked him
where he learned such skills?
Mo,
ask him to cut our hair too.
Glad to serve you.
He has to work with you lying down.
Right, he's a mortician,
he only knows how to work on dead people.
He hopes you won't mind.
Whatever, who cares?
I just want to look like a pretty schoolgirl.
Give me a coat.
His hands are so soft.
Mo, did he really work on the dead?
Mo, we're going to sleep.
Wake us up when it's our turn.
Mo, he's amazing!
If only my mother were alive,
she would have been so happy
to see me like this.
She said,
we never had a scholar in our family.
Now you are a scholar, so am I.
My mother wouldn't recognize me either!
- Of course not. - We are now students.
Let's line up.
Mo, let him see if we all look like students.
No need to count, we only have twelve.
One of the students still has to go!
We did all of this for nothing!
What did he say?
He said he would go.
- What are you talking about? - You are a boy!
Who cares if we are one short?
We will just say that one of us has died from an illness.
My grandma told me that the Japanese can't count.
We can't do that!
The Japanese are very astute!
They will search everywhere,
and it will be the end for the students!
There is nothing you can do.
They will see that you are a boy.
You can't fool them.
Yes, it's too obvious.
It's a short distance from the church to the car.
If I am made-up as a girl, lower my head,
and walk right behind you all,
I'm sure the Japanese won't notice!
This was the last time I saw George Chen.
When he was six years old
and almost died of starvation,
Father Ingleman saved him.
He rang the church bell, swept the floor,
and worked in the kitchen.
We used to laugh at him
whenever he spoke in English
or in Nanking dialect.
Hide your weapons well. Don't let the Japanese see.
Don't worry, at least we will get an eyeball.
Following our commander's order,
I'm here to pick up the students.
Here is a gift bag from our troops.
Please accept it.
What are you doing here?
Mr. Kato.
Have you spoken with Colonel Hasegawa?
My daughter,
she doesn't have to go, right?
The order is from the chief commander.
Even Colonel Hasegawa can't interfere.
Get out.
Mr. Kato. But you promised to help.
Shut up!
The chief commander is in charge.
Look,
he sent troops just for this.
We can't do anything.
But we had a deal.
I have given you all of my valuables.
Mr. Kato. Please, you promised!
When did I take your things?
That was for our military expenses.
Then I'm begging you,
please allow me to see
my daughter one last time.
I'm not a student. I won't go!
I won't go!
I'm not a student!
Isn't that your daughter?
What is she saying? Why is she shouting?
I'm not a student!
I won't go!
You've seen your daughter.
John told me that his biggest regret was that, because
we had to get out as quickly as possible,
he couldn't give my father a proper burial.
What's on the truck?
Open it.
Until this day
I still don't know what happened
to the women of the Qin Huai River.
I never learned all of their names,
and never saw them
being taken away by the Japanese.
So, I always imagine...
I imagine myself standing
by the large round window,
watching them walk in once again.