"War is part of politics in a game of international relations."
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The Eight Hundred is a Chinese historical war drama film directed by and co-written by Guan Hu. The film is based on the 1937 event, “Defense of Sihang Warehouse,” which is part of the Battle of Shanghai during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The premise of the story deals with the heroism and sacrifice that happened within 4 days of the war.
Most of the movie was a bloody battle with thrilling shots of the protagonists, allowing the audience to experience the urgency of the combat of war. There is a strong contradiction between the two worlds that are kept apart by a bridge. On one side, there are soldiers fighting to save their country in the Sihang Warehouse while across the river on the other side, they are being observed. The standout point of the movie is the soldiers' willpower to stand firm to protect their country.
Despite the tragedy of war, there is a lack of emotional connection the audience can relate to as The Eight Hundred is essentially just a compilation of deaths and self sacrifices. As they say in the movie, "War is part of politics in a game of international relations."
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