The Eight Hundred (2020)

The last line of defence

(Important note:
I won't look up how historically accurate this depiction is, so everything below is based 100% on the film)

The Japanese army raged relatively unchecked across northern China, crushing the tiny, weak forces that stood against it. As Chinese soldiers fled towards the British-protected Shanghai, they were caught and executed by their own as deserters, the Japanese, who showed no mercy to the enemy... and ultimately, turned away from Shanghai by armed British troops operating under a makeshift peace treaty that meant no Japanese could enter, as long as Chinese soldiers didn't retreat there.

For the handful of Chinese we're introduced to at the beginning, separated from their unit whilst heading to the last line of defence by Chinese troops, there was little hope, as only deserters and the dead got separated.

Being captured by their own and made do the "traitors' work" of repairing defences under threat of sniper fire, these few men - a mere boy, one of them - are soon forced to flee, but to see their comrades slaughtered as they ran... is that really an option?
But to stay means to kill. How can a simple farmer kill another human being?
And so, the 3 day battle changes each of them; we see how men bond as brothers in life and death situations; how a few soldiers could inspire an entire nation to rise up off its knees and fight.


As for the actual film: well, it's amazing (but be sure not to miss the necessary exposition explaining why the Japanese can't just bomb the building, or you'll think there was a serious plot-hole (there wasn't!).

The running time is well over 2 hours yet it never drags, and not a single moment feels wasted.

It used to be that China envied Hollywood's war epics, but the tide may well be turning.
Definitely recommended.

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A dance of optics, but with little emotional pull

The set-up of The Eight Hundred is immediately an intriguing one. A last Chinese battalion is left at an abandoned warehouse in Shanghai to make a final stand against the Japanese. Their struggle is not just one of bloodshed. It's also a performance.

Because just a stone's throw across the river is the international concession where the Shanghai elite and entertainers – as well as foreign journalists – gaze on as the Chinese battalion endures assault after assault from the Japanese.

This dynamic is what makes this film stand out, in my opinion. You have this interesting dance of the concession-side watching the warehouse soldiers as if the entire thing is a show. But then you also have the soldiers watching the concession-side, pulled in by the dazzling performers and lights.

It's not only about watcher/watched either. Individuals from both sides attempt to make crossings from one side to the other. The film seems to refrain from judging the actions of anyone too harshly – including deserters and snobby journos – which keeps the watcher/watched dichotomy all the more fluid. Except the Japanese, of course. Their sole purpose in this film is to be condemned.

I think a lot of this analysis may be my projection, however. As ultimately, The Eight Hundred doesn't dwell with much depth on this interesting dichotomy. A massive chunk of run time is consumed by massive action scenes which, while essential for war films, are my least favourite part of the genre. (No shade to The Eight Hundred, I just don't like war films that much generally).

Normally, I can forgive super long battle scenes if there's strong emotional pull. Unfortunately, this was the big let down for me. The Eight Hundred tried to follow the storyline of too many characters. The result was breadth, but no depth.

Like c'mon, pleeeease, I'm such a sucker for having my heartstrings pulled. I can jump from six to eight stars so damn fast when you tap into my soft side, but The Eight Hundred missed the opportunity. Which is a shame. Because there were some potentially gorgeous characters, they simply weren't fleshed out.

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