In recent times, two blockbusters—City of Life and Death and then John Rabe—both featuring the Nanjing Massacre in World War II, have once again thrust this painful period in China's history back into public focus. The fact that it is a subject that interests the majority of Chinese is borne out by the massive box office takings of City of Life and Death.

On December 13, 1937, Japanese troops occupied the then Chinese capital of Nanjing. In the following 40-plus days, they carried out a large-scale slaughter campaign in the city. When the last shots had been fired, more than 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers lay dead or captured.

Records of this painful period in China's past can be tracked in archival foreign media reports such as The New York Times, which carried accounts of the events as written by foreign journalists who lived in Nanjing at that time. Local Nanjing newspaper Xinhua Daily uncovered tragic details of the massacre and exposed the ruthless conduct of Japanese troops.

The general public also kept records, many of whom wrote in diaries, sent letters and filmed the atrocities as they experienced them firsthand. In addition, numerous records of the massacre can be found in historical archives in the UK, the United States, Germany, Japan and China.

The Chinese equate what the Japanese did in Nanjing to the atrocities committed by the Nazis against the Jews in World War II. The killings have left a legacy of painful memories not only for the Chinese people but also for humanity as a whole. However, mainstream Japanese society is still reluctant to admit and face their nation's involvement in this tragic event. Even worse, some Japanese educational institutions have altered their school textbooks on many occasions in an attempt to whitewash the brutal behavior their troops had been responsible for.

The Japanese attitude further aggravates the painful memories of the Chinese people, who remember the massacre more vividly with each passing generation.

In spite of vividly exposing the massacre, City of Life and Death has aroused much controversy as well. Advocates believe the director does a great job making a docu-drama film. They contend the battle scenes, architecture, clothing, sound effects and the use of black and white film all create a powerful visual effect. The movie focuses on the feelings of both a Japanese soldier and a Chinese soldier, and features the humanitarian side of conflict by showing their inner struggles, something that uplifts the movie's profundity.

Critics, however, argue that the battle and slaughter scenes are a shallow imitation of violence seen in similar movies. They say the movie fails to expose the true historical facts and doesn't leave people to ponder on what they have seen.

City of Life and Death might not be a masterpiece in every aspect. But its effort in trying to reflect the Nanjing Massacre from a different and more humanitarian perspective is admirable.