The Eight Hundred

The Eight Hundred is one of the most ambitious and incredibly enthralling epic war dramas ever produced and is currently a runaway hit at the Chinese box office.

As the war heightened in 1937, North China was conquered by the Japanese. The Chinese army retreated after the three-month Battle Of Shanghai, but a single regiment known as the ‘Eight Hundred Heroes’ remained at Sihang Warehouse to fight the war of resistance against the entire Japanese army.

During the course of the film’s running time of 148 minutes, audiences will witness the courage and resilience of these Chinese soldiers who vastly lost their lives in one of the most barbaric battles ever fought in modern history.

As one onlooker remarked, “If only every Chinese was as brave as them the Japanese would never have done this!”

The Eight Hundred is dark and unsettling and excels in every department – production, acting, writing, direction, art direction, and cinematography. The atrocities of war and the effects on the human psyche are authentically depicted in this action-packed film which can only be categorised as essential viewing. (MMo)

★★★★ ½