John Rabe (2008)

75% of critics liked it
(32 reviews)
77% of users liked it
(657 ratings)

Oscar-winning director Florian Gallenberger explores the crucial role that foreigners played in helping countless Chinese escape a fate worse than death in this period docudrama concerning the 1937 invasion of Nanking by the ruthless Japanese Imperial Army. Casually known by historians as the "Rape… More Oscar-winning director Florian Gallenberger explores the crucial role that foreigners played in helping countless Chinese escape a fate worse than death in this period docudrama concerning the 1937 invasion of Nanking by the ruthless Japanese Imperial Army. Casually known by historians as the "Rape of Nanking," the relentless assault on the then-Chinese capitol found countless men, women, and children slaughtered with a ferocity that shocked the entire world. Yet, despite the violence that surrounded them, some people refused to sit by silently as the innocents perished. One of those people was German engineer and Nazi party member John Rabe, who earned the nickname "The Schindler of China" for constructing a vast safety zone in which nearly a quarter of a million civilians sought sanctuary. Ulrich Tukur, Daniel Brühl, Dagmar Manzel, and Steve Buscemi star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 14 min.
Directed By: Florian Gallenberger
Written By: Florian Gallenberger
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Jun 4, 2010 Limited
On DVD: Sep 7, 2010
Studio: Strand Releasing

Critic Reviews

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
It is a tale of a true hero, even if in its minor details it's less than entirely true. For a movie with ambitions as big as "John Rabe," that doesn't just make it good. That makes it epic.
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
Thanks to Tukur, what we get here is still something: a stunning portrait of a good man caught in a widening inferno.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Drawn from Rabe's diaries, the film is rich in telling and ironic details.
David Denby, New Yorker
One of the main virtues of John Rabe is to demonstrate that, however much we know about the worst of all wars, it still has little-known corners that can amaze us.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
Despite its gruesome scenes of hundreds of Chinese prisoners of war being lined up and executed and its ostentatious shots of severed heads, the movie is less than indelible.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
There are many powerful moments, including a mass beheading, before the film turns into a sappy, Frank Capra-esque affair.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
It's worth seeing this feature about the heroic figure of John Rabe, even though the movie leaves much to be desired dramatically.
Burl Burlingame, Honolulu Star-Advertiser
A serious, large-budget treatment of Rabe's exploits and a moving, terrific film about trying to maintain one's decency amidst horrors.
Christian Toto, What Would Toto Watch?
John Rabe preserves history while painting a portrait of a most complicated hero.
Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion
Despite a reliance on docu-drama contrivances, a reasonably intelligent, impressively mounted account of a little-known act of twentieth-century heroism.
Ron Wilkinson, Monsters and Critics
One of the few films so far this year that deserves to be called an epic. Great acting and superb sets and cinematography make this a great success.
Annlee Ellingson, Moving Pictures Magazine
Deftly incorporated into the narrative is archival footage from the Nanking Massacre -- a stark reminder of the horrifying true events on which the film is based.
Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru
An often contrived, melodramatic and pedestrian war drama slightly elevated by Ulrich Tukur's captivating performance, exquisite production values and a modicum of suspense.
Nora Lee Mandel, Film-Forward.com
Portrait of altruism in the face of staggering odds by a righteous group of foreigners, movingly and passionately enacted as full individuals, not plaster saints.
Scott Tobias, AV Club
Reduced to obscurity after the war, Rabe deserves to be remembered for his role in shielding hundreds of thousands in a "safety zone" on company grounds. But the film will help little in securing his legacy.
Donald J. Levit, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
This is a story of courage and integrity, and the phlegmatic Ulrich Tukur does well by a quiet hero ignored for over half a century.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Unusual portrait of a Nazi and German businessman who is known in China as a living Buddha for saving 250,000 citizens of Nanking during the Sino-Japanese war.
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline
Gallenberger has an astute visual sense, and he's good at transmitting lots of information with a single image.
Stephen Garrett, Time Out New York
Think of this once-removed re-creation as a melodramatic shoehorn into unspeakable despair.
Marshall Fine, Hollywood & Fine
Ulrich Tukur is an actor of great restraint and yet great expressiveness... John Rabe offers a unique perspective on the rape of Nanking.

Read all 20 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Jens S

This German film tells the story of the Japanese sacking of Nanking, China in 1937 and the part German engineer Rabe played in saving great numbers of the population from murder and rape. Especially the 3 hour version takes its time introducing the characters and situation shortly… More
This German film tells the story of the Japanese sacking of Nanking, China in 1937 and the part German engineer Rabe played in saving great numbers of the population from murder and rape. Especially the 3 hour version takes its time introducing the characters and situation shortly before the Japanese invasion and delivers some great and spectacular war scenes. Things in town start to get dire pretty soon, too. In its strongest and most horrifying moments, the film does not have to hide behind Schindler's List, when it comes to depicting the horrors of war and war crimes in particular. That sometimes makes it almost unbearable to watch, but still so enthralling and touching. The acting is top notch, especially Tukur is a really convincing jovial but humane Rabe. Buscemi as the American doctor in town has the best one liners and brings some bitter humor into play. The direction is flawless and creates a maelstrom of desperate situations without ever entirely abandoning hope. That makes for engrossing and moving film making and a movie that actually got deeper under my skin than Spielberg's classic. Highly recommended for history buffs.
Cynthia S

Based on a true story, "John Rabe" is an epic World War II saga, telling of horror and mass murder on the other side of the globe. It is December 1937 and we are made witness to the Rape of Nanking in which approximately 300,000 Chinese citizens were brutally massacred by… More
Based on a true story, "John Rabe" is an epic World War II saga, telling of horror and mass murder on the other side of the globe. It is December 1937 and we are made witness to the Rape of Nanking in which approximately 300,000 Chinese citizens were brutally massacred by the Japanese with a wink and a nod from the Nazis. We witness this horror through the eyes of John Rabe, the manager of the Siemens plant in Nanking. Integrating multiple languages and real news footage, this is a masterfully crafted film, deserving of high praise. While difficult to watch, it is worthy of your attention.
Walter M

On December 1, 1937, John Rabe(Ulrich Tukur), the manager of the Siemens plant in Nanking, is only a couple of days away from returning to his native Berlin for a promotion with his wife Dora(Dagmar Manzel). After warmly greeting his successor, Fliesse(Mathias Herrmann), he receives… More
On December 1, 1937, John Rabe(Ulrich Tukur), the manager of the Siemens plant in Nanking, is only a couple of days away from returning to his native Berlin for a promotion with his wife Dora(Dagmar Manzel). After warmly greeting his successor, Fliesse(Mathias Herrmann), he receives some unwelcome news about the future of the plant. That's nothing compared to rumors of the approaching Japanese army commanded by Major Ose(Arata) which leads Dr. Robert Wilson(Steve Buscemi) to prepare for the worse. That comes later when the bombing starts, as Rabe gives sanctuary to his workers at the plant, huddled underneath a gigantic Nazi flag for protection. I admit I know the correct approach for material such as this is to tell it from a native point of view(as was the recent excellent film "The City of Life and Death"). At the same time I am fascinated by John Rabe who is at first depicted as cold and imperious(the first shots of the movie involve "Deutschland uber Alles" and a smaller Nazi flag) before realizing a responsibility to the people of China. In retrospect, he and his colleagues on the safety committee could possibly be seen to be acting out of a certain naivete but how could any of them have imagined the turn towards total war favored by the Nazis and Japanese?(The bombing of Guernica had been on April 26, 1937.) Rabe had not lived in Germany for decades and no idea of what the country had recently become. It should also be noted the movie spares the viewer from the worst of the atrocities with some archival footage thrown in. And, yes, Steve Buscemi's presence is a little distracting but where else are you going to see him play the hero and speak a little Chinese to boot?