Rama’s SCREEN

Yes, an inspiring movie. I love movies that can inspire today’s generation and this is one of them. THE CHILDREN OF HUANG-SHI takes you on a journey of a man and the kids he grew to love. It takes hold of your attention but most of all… it uplifts your heart and spirit to the conviction that human triumph in the midst of chaos and struggle is possible. A remarkable film, passionate and endearing. Simply one of the best movies of the year.

George Hogg was known as a heroic adventurer during the ongoing Second Sino-Japanese War, during which, in 1944, he led pupils from his school on a 700-mile journey through dangerous mountain passes, in order to escape the approaching Japanese secret police in the Shandan area. He found himself caught in the middle of the upcoming war between the Chinese and Japanese, and witnessing the brutality of the Imperial Japanese Army, he decided to help the Chinese civilians. This is the story of an ordinary young Englishman who fell in love with foreign people and devoted his life to their betterment.

Much props to Jonathan Rhys Meyers who gives an outstanding performance in this film. He plays a character based on real life person, George Hogg, a man with flaws but in all his goodness, he was perfect.
Jonathan speaks Japanes and Mandarin pretty well, you have to admire this actor’s diligence in trying to make the right on-the-target portrayal of a hero.

All the supporting actors (Raadha Mitchell, Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun Fat) give excellent performances to add to the complexity of the situation.
Just like any other inspiring movie, this one also has a great original score/music that can rattle you out of your comfort zone and make you wanna go out there do something good for once in your life

I enjoy the movie’s take on China in the 1940s. The look, the feel, the landscape, everything does justice to the story.
It displays the brutality of war, so much so that we as audiences could not believe that a human could do such thing to another. Most of us today don’t understand how someone could round up a bunch of people he thinks are inferior and simply pull the trigger on the machine gun and start shooting.
This movie doesn’t want to hide the fact that war is indeed a terrible thing.

I think it’s good that the movie goes to show that not all communists are evil. It’s not about religion or communist or democracy, it’s about what we’re willing to do for others that will separate us from those who see life as something expendable.

I looked up online for this man named George Hogg, the character that Jonathan Rhys Meyers played.
During his stay in China from 1937-1944, he met various people and witnessed many incidents that greatly changed his perceptions of life.
Sometimes we wonder what compels a person to leave the comfort of his/her home and go to an estranged land and do the impossible.
People like George gives assurance to us that mankind is still capable of something glorious.

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