Jin líng shí san chai 2011

Mike Hale, New York Times: Zhang Yimou revisits the Nanjing massacre of 1937 by making something resembling a backstage musical, with breaks for the occasional ghastly murder or rape. Read more

David Fear, Time Out: Zhang's mixture of unsparing violence, mawkish sentimentality and garish flourishes creates one uncomfortable aesthetic. Read more

Tasha Robinson, AV Club: Many of Flowers' individual performances and scenes are striking and masterful, but taken as a whole, it's less a film than a rallying cry of "Our people feel more deeply than yours." Read more

Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic: "The Flowers of War" seems like a pretty good film until you begin to think about it. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: All Zhang's splendor does is foster cognitive dissonance in an audience. Read more

Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: "Flowers" abounds with well-worn movie archetypes and slathers on schmaltz. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: [Yimou] turns the Rape of Nanking into a visually stunning melodrama. But the effect of such extreme contrast is unsettling to say the least. Read more

V.A. Musetto, New York Post: Battle scenes are spectacular - great explosions! - but most of the screen time is taken up by a contrived and schmaltzy script with little emotional punch. Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: I can't get it out of my thoughts, and I recommend it highly. Read more

Gary Thompson, Philadelphia Inquirer: A strange hybrid of "City of Life and Death" and "Father Goose" that nevertheless, in the hands of Zhang Yimou, musters a few striking moments. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: A third of a million may be dead, but for our purposes, all depends on the survival of these young women, and the redemption of the alcoholic American. Do you get my drift? Read more

Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle: Affecting at times, but finally feels overblown and heavy-handed. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: An unsettling mixture of spectacular brutality and sentimentality that might make even Steven Spielberg blush. Read more

Trevor Johnston, Time Out: Zhang's flamboyant camera choreography and diva-ish flounces of melodrama are vivid but misplaced. Read more

Greg Quill, Toronto Star: The director's grip on the drama is often weakened by his penchant for creating spectacles. Read more

Tim Grierson, Village Voice: Human suffering reduced to visual showmanship. Read more