The 2025 Chinese historical drama Dead To Rights has stirred debate in Japan by revisiting the Nanjing Massacre. For Japanese audiences, the film is not merely entertainment but a mirror reflecting their struggles between confronting history and avoiding guilt. Through its depiction of civilians hiding in a photo studio, the movie asks viewers a profound question: How should Japan remember and pass on its wartime past?
- Overview and historical background of Dead To Rights
- Two contrasting Japanese reactions
- Japanese psychology toward works on the Nanjing Massacre
- Generational differences revealed through the film
- Factors shaping Japanese reactions
- The role of films in reflecting Japanese feelings
- Additional reflections on memory in Japanese society
- Conclusion
Overview and historical background of Dead To Rights
The film is set during the 1937 Nanjing Massacre. Its protagonist, Su Liuchang, a postal worker, disguises himself as a photo studio apprentice in order to survive. With the help of Japanese army interpreter Wang Guohai and military photographer Ito, Su hides both civilians and members of the National Revolutionary Army inside the studio. The story reveals how Ito forced Su to develop propaganda images labeled as “friendship photos,” while at the same time secretly capturing atrocities and acts of violence.
The narrative dramatizes how such photographic negatives later became crucial evidence at postwar war-crime tribunals. The film exposes the “public face” and the “hidden reality” of the Japanese forces. By transforming historical fact into imagery, it also serves as a supplement to the lack of detailed historical education on this subject.
Two contrasting Japanese reactions
Desire to confront history
For some Japanese, Dead To Rights is viewed as a valuable opportunity to face past wrongdoing. Because school education rarely delves deeply into the Nanjing Massacre, films like this help fill in gaps of understanding. Many believe that facing the story from the perpetrator’s side is a responsibility toward the future.
Viewers with this perspective often comment, “It was painful to watch, but I am glad I saw it.” They argue that acknowledging Japan’s darker past and passing it on to future generations is essential for building international trust.
Resistance to revisiting the past
On the other hand, many express fatigue: “Another film about the Nanjing Massacre?” Some criticize it as portraying Japanese brutality in an exaggerated or one-sided way. Online discussions frequently frame the movie as “an attempt to impose a particular historical narrative.” This reflects the enduring divide between Japan and China regarding how to tell the story of wartime atrocities.
For these viewers, the film feels unfair in singling out Japan for condemnation while ignoring broader wartime contexts. They perceive it as highlighting only one aspect of history.
Japanese psychology toward works on the Nanjing Massacre
When Japanese audiences encounter films or books about the Nanjing Massacre, two conflicting emotions often emerge: the curiosity to learn and the desire to avoid guilt. This tension can be organized as follows.
| Type of reaction | Characteristics | Typical response after watching |
|---|---|---|
| Will to confront | A desire to learn from history and apply it to the future | “The content was painful, but I’m glad I saw it.” |
| Defensive reaction | Avoidance of national guilt | “The story is exaggerated.” |
| Indifference | Distance from historical memory | “It’s in the past, so it doesn’t matter.” |
This table illustrates how the same film can generate three very different responses, highlighting the layered nature of Japanese historical consciousness.
Generational differences revealed through the film
Reactions also differ sharply by generation. Those who lived closer to the war years and younger audiences respond in very different ways.
| Generation | Typical reaction | Tendency |
|---|---|---|
| Postwar generation | Heavy emotional response due to firsthand memories of the era | Strong inclination to face history |
| Middle-aged | Grew up in the era of economic growth, often prioritizing the present | Mixed reactions of indifference and defensiveness |
| Younger generation | Limited exposure to the event in education, emotional distance | View history as “a past event” rather than a personal issue |
These generational contrasts underline the challenge of how to pass memory across time.
Factors shaping Japanese reactions
The diversity of Japanese responses to Dead To Rights stems from multiple influences.
| Factor | Details | Impact on reception |
|---|---|---|
| Education | How much the Nanjing Massacre is covered in school curricula | Lack of knowledge can foster denial or indifference |
| Media representation | How films, dramas, or books portray events | One-sided portrayals often provoke rejection |
| International relations | State of Japan–China diplomatic ties | If the film is seen as politically motivated, reactions become polarized |
These factors interact, producing the variety of responses observed in Japanese society.
The role of films in reflecting Japanese feelings
Dead To Rights forces Japanese audiences to ask, “How should we face history?” Both affirmative and resistant responses represent genuine parts of Japanese sentiment. The film breaks through silence and indifference, creating opportunities for dialogue.
For younger generations in particular, history becomes not just “a page in a textbook” but a human story. Experiencing the struggles and dilemmas of the characters helps bring history closer, transforming it from abstract numbers and dates into lived human reality.
Additional reflections on memory in Japanese society
The film also highlights generational differences within Japan. Those who experienced the aftermath of war respond heavily, while younger generations often view the events as remote. Both attitudes, however, show the diversity of approaches to history.
Through its portrayal, the film underscores the challenge of how to pass responsibility and memory to the next generation. It is not enough to acknowledge guilt; the task is to transmit the tragedy of war in ways that prevent repetition. Schools, public forums, and cultural works can all become spaces for such learning and dialogue.
Conclusion
Japanese responses to Dead To Rights oscillate between the desire to confront history and the wish to avoid reopening the past. The film exposes this tension and asks contemporary audiences, “How will you connect memory to the future?”
Reactions are not uniform, but this diversity itself gives the film value. It provides a space to think critically about history, encouraging Japanese society to carry memory forward rather than sealing it away. Ultimately, the significance of the film lies in its power to transform painful remembrance into lessons for the future.
