Andrea Bocelli, Na Ying - Remembering - 苏州河

[soryang]

Andrea Bocelli, Na Ying - Remembering - 苏州河

Theme from the Chinese blockbuster war movie Remembering. I think the title is 蘇州河 Suzhou River a river in Shanghai, the scene of the fighting. Just about everyone recognizes the Danny Boy melody.

Surprisingly, the movie portrays heroic Nationalist soldiers in the Chinese 1937 last stand in Shanghai. There are wikipedia and other descriptions of the film available online.

[Irish_Dem]

1. Thanks for posting!

The name of the Chinese movie is "The Eight Hundred" and the closing song is "Remembering."

Danny Boy is one of my favorite songs and I was delighted to see Na and Bocelli record this this duet.

This movie depicts Chinese soldiers defense of Shanghai against the invading Japanese Army during the Battle of Shanghai in 1937.

Danny Boy is an Irish folk song and the tune, along with Chinese lyrics was used to create a call for peace across time and space.

[soryang]

2. Yes

The 800 ( 八百 ) is the title. Forgot to mention that. So 蘇州河 Suzhou River, the river between the warehouse, which is still there and the old international concession area on the other side, I think is the Chinese name of the song. The warehouse was made into a museum a few years back.

I noticed when looking at some reviews, that the 800 was maybe not the true number. I got the impression from the movie, that the number of surviving troops may have been exaggerated by the commander for tactical reasons at the time. The movie is very violent and not that easy to follow, so the reviews are mixed. I watched anyway because of historical interest in the subject matter, and the contemporary relevance of the movie.

Thanks for your comments, I think you have the song's intent exactly.

[Irish_Dem]

3. Thank you for the review of the movie.

I was hoping to see it, but if it is quite violent, I may not enjoy it.

I read online that Na flew to Italy personally to teach Bocelli Mandarin so he could sing the duet with her.
They recorded both an English and Chinese version of the song.

[soryang]

4. Interesting

I wonder why youtube shut off the comments on Na's "Chinese" version of Remembering. Comments on the international version of the song were very complimentary. (on edit: okay i see one international version has Na singing in English)

Yes, the 800 isn't for everyone. My wife wouldn't watch it. it's pretty brutal. The cinematic technique and sets, remind me of the South Korean movie My Way. That film about WWII, covered the entirety of Eurasia. The two central characters, one Korean, and one Japanese, made the film easier to follow.

I posted about that movie in the world history group.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/11661840

[Irish_Dem]

5. Yes, I wonder why the comments were shut off on Na's Chinese version.

Yes the international comments were quite positive about Na and Bocelli's performance.

If 800 is brutal, then I won't watch it. One person on youtube said they watched the movie and it emotionally broke them into pieces. Yikes. I would loved to have watched a recently made, good Chinese movie.

Have you seen modern day Shanghai? It is a truly amazing city.

I will look for My Way.

If you like WWII stories from an American perceptive, have you see Spielberg's The Pacific?
It is a series, and excellent. I was spell bound the entire time.

My uncle was killed in WWII at Guadalcanal and I really never understood the situation until I saw the Pacific.

[soryang]

6. there is a cold depersonalized aspect to the movie which is unsettling

there was a circus like atmosphere in the crowds of international spectators, night club denizens, reporters, and the like watching the tragedy unfold across the river in the protected international concessions. ultimately, all were moved by the heroism of the defenders whose fate was hopeless in the face of international indifference. It was moving. I wonder if it could have been anything but overdone. How do you portray an event like this?

My father and uncle served in the Western Pacific during WWII.

I haven't been to mainland China, I've been to Taiwan and South Korea. I try to escape the American perspective to ascertain the foreign views on these matters and better understand their historical perspectives. The best two South Korean dramas from this historical point of view are Different Dream, and Nokdu Flower. To me, the Great Pacific War, really began with the first Sino-Japanese War in 1894. Netflix had their own production on this earlier period called Mister Sunshine, but in my opinion, it wasn't that good compared to the South Korean efforts.

The best history book on the far east is James Bradley's The China Mirage because it explains the problem with American political perspectives on Asia, which involve a lot of projection and western cultural illusions.

I follow Cyrus Janssen and other English speaking ex patriots on youtube for their reports on China. He and others have produced multiple short travelogues on Shanghai and other Chinese cities and regions.

I will look for Spielberg's series.

[Irish_Dem]

7. The actual event was so surreal, the film had to show it as over the top

Because that was the reality

Yes I agree, I like the Asian perspective on events in their locations, not just the Western view or spin.
I lived in Japan as a child, and have traveled in China as an adult.

I will look for the books and films you recommend!
Thank you!

[soryang]

8. Great to have that experience in the far east!

thanks for the discussion Irish_Dem.

I've been writing a blog about Korean military, politics, history and culture for last 3 years. It started out as practice translating the language. It still is really. I was lucky enough to be stationed in South Korea for almost three years and witness historic events there in Seoul and travel throughout the country.

Sorry to hear of your family's loss of your uncle. My uncle fought in the Bougainville campaign and was fortunate enough to survive. I was very close to him and now know he had ptsd and tbi, which was really little understood back then as far as I could tell.

I will just mention Tim Shorrock here, the Nation writer, who has a twitter blog, because his background is similar to yours.

[Irish_Dem]

9. I'm impressed that you are so fluent in the Korean language.

My father flew combat in three wars, and yes he had PTSD too, but we didn't have a name for it back then.

When I think what our uncles and fathers went through to save democracy and the US, it makes me so angry to see the GOP tear it all down

I will look for Tom S. Thank you for the discussion and the recommendations!