Parents' Guide to

The Flowers of War

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Graphic rape and killing battle heroism and sacrifice.

Movie R 2012 146 minutes
The Flowers of War Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 15+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Elizabeth111
Elizabeth111 Adult
January 6, 2020
age 18+
Visually beautiful film. Good story line with unexpected acts of heroism during a desperate and savage period of chinese history. Some shockingly violent scenes even if never gratuitous . Positive and negative sides of human sexuality are very present but as with the violence, it is never gratuitous and is indeed in some appropriate scenes shown with sensitivity and aesthetically
glaice
glaice Adult
January 31, 2012
age 16+

reflecting the brutality of Japanese

I think it's a movie which reflecting the brutality of Japanese soildiers when Nanking is occupied by them;

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

December 1937, Nanking, China. Invading Japanese troops quickly overpower the few remaining Chinese soldiers occupying the city. American John Miller (Christian Bale) -- a self-serving, boozing mortician sent on a paid mission to bury the local Catholic priest -- makes his way through the bullets and piles of bodies to the church compound. He finds George (Tianyuan Huang), a young Chinese boy with responsibility for a dozen convent schoolgirls who are defenseless and terrified. When a group of beautiful young courtesans also seeks refuge in the church -- and the Japanese gain entrance despite the Red Cross banner, which is supposed to protect those within -- John is called upon to be the caretaker, defender, and "father" of them all. As threats of rape and death from the Japanese occupiers intensify, John -- with help from George, the girls, and the prostitutes -- seeks the inner strength, wisdom, and courage to save as many of them as he can.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (1):

THE FLOWERS OF WAR is often repellent and sometimes touching. It presents a constantly shifting perspective -- from horrific battle and rape scenes to sentimental episodes of romance, self-sacrifice, and redemption. Though the characters are mostly one-dimensional and cliche-driven, the film is so beautifully shot and the odds stacked so heavily in favor of John Miller and his charges that it's almost a "guilty pleasure" in which the audience roots for, identifies with, and triumphs along with the heroes.

The movie informs viewers that more than 200,000 people were killed in Nanking. It seems clear that the filmmakers were trying to convey how devastating an atrocity this episode in history was. But The Flowers of War tells such an emotionally manipulative story that's so lacking in subtlety and heavy on caricature that it falls well short of its goal.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the very graphic violence in this movie. What were the filmmakers trying to achieve? How did you feel about what you saw? How does the impact of this kind of violence compare to the gore of a horror movie?

  • How historically accurate do you think The Flowers of War is? Why might filmmakers choose to change certain details when telling a fact-based story? Where resources are available if you'd like to know more about the actual event?

  • How did the filmmakers choose to show John Miller's change from scoundrel to true hero? What events influenced that change?

Movie Details

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