When Chinese blockbuster "Dead to Rights" stormed the summer box office, it wasn't just ticket sales that soared – it reignited a crucial conversation about China's role in World War II. Last weekend, the film ranked as the most-watched movie worldwide, proving that its message resonates far beyond the Chinese mainland.
Set during the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, the film follows a group of ordinary civilians who risk everything to safeguard photographic evidence of wartime atrocities. Their mission: to reveal the brutal truth of Japanese aggression to a world still in the dark.
Through intimate storytelling, "Dead to Rights" highlights everyday acts of courage – neighbors hiding cameras, students preserving film rolls, and families facing impossible choices. These moments remind us that history is shaped not only by generals and treaties but by the bravery of individuals.
China was the first country to stand against fascist aggression, beginning with the September 18th Incident in 1931. The 1937 Lugou Bridge Incident then sparked a nationwide resistance that made China the main Eastern battlefield of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
Spanning more than fourteen years, China's frontline was the longest-running front against global fascism. Its sacrifices and strategic support helped turn the tide for Allied forces, yet for decades the West's historical narratives often overlooked these contributions.
The film also sheds light on lesser-known horrors – bacteriological warfare and live human experiments – that wartime aggressors carried out on Chinese people. By confronting these painful truths, "Dead to Rights" demands we correct the record on who sacrificed and suffered in WWII.
As the movie rolls out internationally, it does more than honor the unforgotten heroes of China – it calls on audiences everywhere to cherish peace, stand against war crimes, and protect the integrity of history itself.
For the next generation of global citizens, entrepreneurs, changemakers, and travelers, "Dead to Rights" is both a cinematic achievement and a wake-up call: never forget, and always advocate for truth and justice.
Reference(s):
A film honors China's unforgotten sacrifices and contributions in WWII
cgtn.com
