Overview
A gripping tale of survival and sacrifice amidst the chaos of war.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- bleak
- solemn
- harrowing
- historical film night
- serious weekend viewing
What critics said
Critics recognized the film's visual ambition and emotional commitment but broadly found its melodrama and uneven storytelling less convincing than its subject matter.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
John Miller begins as a mortician seeking practical escape but becomes guardian to schoolgirls and prostitutes trapped in Nanjing.
The church becomes a refuge during the 1937 Nanjing Massacre and Japanese military occupation.
Zhang Yimou frames the church, uniforms, crowds, and moments of sacrifice with highly composed visual grandeur.
Convent students and brothel workers are forced into an uneasy community whose survival depends on recognizing their equal humanity.
Films like The Flowers of War, and why
Schindler's List
historical war drama centered on civilian suffering, moral courage, and sacrifice during wartime atrocities
The Pianist
emotionally intense historical war drama portraying occupation, mass violence, and contested human dignity
To Live
Chinese historical epic combining wartime brutality, sacrificial heroism, and stylized visual grandeur
Atonement
war drama about civilians protecting vulnerable people amid military occupation and sexual violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Zhang Yimou
- Release Date
- 2011-12-15
- Runtime
- 146 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (937)
Cast
- Christian Bale
- Ni Ni
- Zhang Xinyi
- Huang Tianyuan
- Han Xiting
- Zhang Doudou
- Tong Dawei
- Cao Kefan
- Atsuro Watabe
- Yuan Yangchunzi
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Flowers of War about?
- Amid the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, a cynical mortician becomes the unlikely guardian of girls and prostitutes sheltering inside a besieged church.
- What is The Flowers of War like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Flowers of War as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Flowers of War violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Flowers of War as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Flowers of War?
- Critics recognized the film's visual ambition and emotional commitment but broadly found its melodrama and uneven storytelling less convincing than its subject matter.
- Which films are like The Flowers of War?
- Films with a similar feel include Schindler's List, The Pianist, To Live, and Atonement.
- How long is The Flowers of War?
- The Flowers of War runs 146 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Flowers of War?
- In United States, The Flowers of War streams on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.
