Directed by Fei Zhenxiang and Guan Hu, and written by Zhang Ji, Chen Shu and Dong Runnian. During WWII, in the waters near Zhoushan, China, a Japanese freighter carrying British POWs was sunk, leaving thousands trapped inside by the Japanese military. A group of fishermen from Dongji Island stepped forward without hesitation to save them. Starring: Zhu Yilong, Leo Wu, Ni Ni, Yang Haoyu, Chen Minghao, Ni Dahong, William Franklyn-Miller, Li Jiuxiao, Wang Yiquan and Kevin Lee.
Considering how many films have been made about World War II, and how often the same stories get told over and over again, Dongji Rescue is here to prove that there are lesser known tales of courage and compassion that haven’t been given their due. Thematically, this is an epic story but at its heart it’s a simple one, it’s about valuing human life. That in itself is moving and the story does have an emotional vein but the way that it moves isn’t the most effective to really make for an impactful viewing experience.
It feels as though a lot of the attention and effort was put into the visual side of things, Dongji Rescue creates a large scale film, to capture the truly drastic and tragic circumstances. In the visual sense, that works but its progression, pacing and the tone of the story never wholly find their footing. It opens on a very chaotic note, it takes quite a while to settle in and then when it does, it moves slowly. It also feels like there was a touch too much focus on the Brits, given that the heroes of this story are the Dongji fishermen. They could have been given a more definitive lead, which might have helped drive the story, rather than flitting back and forth.
Although, it does a great job of capturing the cruelty of war and how many lives were so casually and unnecessarily lost. The intention is certainly there but it goes so big with the visual that it loses track of the true heart of Dongji Rescue and the generosity of the fishermen, having a habit of wanting to push the harshness and brutality of the Japanese military instead. After a certain point, it can also start to feel repetitive, as well as going slightly overboard with the sound work. Violence is a fairly big part of the film, yet while the actions aren’t overly graphic, the sound effects are surprisingly grisly. It pushes the film into dark territory which is unexpected.
When there is a stronger focus on the fishermen characters, they build some great personalities and had they continued to be the centre of the film, it could have moved more smoothly. Especially as there is a solid ensemble at work, it’s a lot of moving parts but even though it does feel scattered at times, the performances all have something to add. However, Chen Minghao is a particular highlight.
Dongji Rescue is unquestionably made for people who are fans of epic war films. It can move quite slowly and stray into being flash over substance, in the sense of getting lost in huge set pieces and forgetting to hold onto a key driving force. The cinematography is strong, even when the story isn’t and there’s a really solid cast. Ultimately, it’s quite a commitment and not everything comes together, arguably most of the documentary footage over the credits has more emotional resonance than the film itself. There’s a wonderful story of selflessness and generosity at its heart, but it can fall by the wayside when the action sequences take over.
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