A gritty and downbeat look at the Japanese occupation of the Chinese capital of Nanking during 1937 (a period that would come to be known as the "Nanking massacre" or the "rape of Nanking") Lu Chuan's Mainland/Hong Kong co-production City of Life and Death isn't exactly light entertainment for the whole family. And even though -- like many films based on historical events -- some liberties might have been taken with the facts, this is still a very powerful cinematic experience.