Summer arrival of Chinese film exposing Japan's biological warfare unit.
Rollin' with the Refried China: Unleashing the Horrors of Imperial Japan's Unit 731
China's upcoming summer blockbuster, "731," based on the notorious Imperial Japanese Army unit known for its barbaric biological and chemical warfare research, is sending shivers down Tokyo's spine. The Japanese government fears a potential deterioration in bilateral ties with the film's release.
Initial announcements for the production of the movie, delving into the unspeakable deeds of Unit 731, dropped in August 2020. The collaboration between the movie crew and an exhibition hall dedicated to the unit in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, added authenticity to the chilling tale.
Marking the 80th anniversary of the completion of the Sino-Japanese conflict, dubbed the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression by Beijing, the film premieres on July 31.
Filmmaker Zhao Linshan shared forthrightly that Unit 731 embodies a horrific bygone era that still sends shivers throughout China and beyond. His intention with the movie revolves around stirring viewers' empathy and paying homage to the victims, while heralding the triumph of peace on humanity's long journey.
The film has an anti-war fervor, with the script unfolding in China's northeastern region. Glimpses into the atrocities committed by Unit 731 serve to remind us of the darkness mankind has traversed and to educate the masses about the repercussions of biological warfare.
Long buried amidst the shadows, Unit 731's activities have been drifting in and out of academic circles since the '90s, emphasizing its brutal experiments, widespread human casualties, and development of lethal biological weapons such as plague and cholera agents.
Despite this damning evidence, the Japanese government maintains that there's no definitive proof confirming the unit's human experiments.
In a bizarre turn of events, former Unit 731 member Hideo Shimizu returned to the crumbling site of the unit in Harbin for the first time in 79 years last year. The media gleefully reported the moment he toasted the memory of the unit's victims.
After all, the Imperial Japanese Army's actions in China, particularly in the occupied Manchuria, have left indelible scars on history. A nation that has struggled to move past its wartime past, Japan, stands on the precipice of a confrontation sparked by the depiction of its shameful history.
In 1997, Japan's Supreme Court ruled that the actions of Unit 731 were widespread enough to have killed numerous Chinese people through biological experiments. The lingering impact of its deeds continues to haunt the region, serving as a grim reminder of Japan's wartime atrocities.
- The upcoming Chinese summer blockbuster titled "731" is based on the Imperial Japanese Army unit, Unit 731, which conducted barbaric biological and chemical warfare research.
- The collaborative creation of the movie with an exhibition hall dedicated to Unit 731 in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, adds authenticity to the movie's chilling tale.
- The movie is set to premiere on July 31, marking the 80th anniversary of the completion of the Sino-Japanese conflict, which Beijing dubbed the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
- Filmmaker Zhao Linshan's intention for the movie is to stir empathy in viewers for the victims, honor the triumph of peace, and remind us of the horrors of the past.
- The movie showcases the atrocities committed by Unit 731, both as a reminder of the darkness mankind has traversed and to educate the masses about the repercussions of biological warfare.
- Research into Unit 731's activities has been ongoing since the 90s, with focus on its brutal experiments, extensive human casualties, and development of lethal biological weapons such as plague and cholera agents.
- Despite the damning evidence, the Japanese government maintains that there is no definitive proof confirming the unit's human experiments, a claim that has left the world seeking answers and sympathizing with the victims.
