The Tokyo Trial (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region All

The plot focuses on the real life story of the military tribunal which was held in 1946 to consider the case of a number of Japanese war criminals, following in particular the story of the Chinese judge Mei Ruyi (played by Damien Lau in suitably dignified fashion) as he battles for justice. While he struggles in the courtroom, a Chinese journalist (Ken Chu) attempts to reconcile with his Japanese girlfriend (Kelly Lin in a rather thankless role), facing hostility from her family and friends, all of whom have been affected by the war in one way or another.

Interestingly, The Tokyo Trial focuses not so much on the acts committed by the Japanese during and prior to the Second World War, but on their subsequent refusal to admit to having done anything wrong. As such, most of the film's drama and outrage stem from the testimony of the accused and their justifications for their crimes, which sees them not only denying all of the charges against them but claiming to have been on the side of right. Indeed, the Japanese defense lawyer emerges as much a villain as his clients, trying various dirty tricks to cause outrage and confusion in the courtroom and attempting to distort the truth and provoke witnesses in a truly twisted fashion. This, along with some thoughtful commentary on the effects of the war on the Japanese psyche, gives the film a sense of contemporary relevance, obviously mirroring the on-going reluctance of the Japanese government to answer to the country's aggressive past.

Despite depicting such atrocious behaviour, the film is surprisingly balanced, and never demonises the Japanese people as a whole, noting that their soldiers in China were forbidden from contacting home in order to prevent word of the atrocities from leaking out, and laying the blame squarely at the feet of the ruling powers. Away from the courtroom, the Japanese characters are a mixed group, with many showing guilt and regret, and although some still harbour fanatical anti-Chinese sentiment, this is clearly shown as being a result of government brainwashing. As a result, the film never comes across as a simple propaganda piece, and is all the more powerful for it.

As a film, The Tokyo Trial is procedural in the extreme, being rigidly structured around the progression of the case, though thankfully it is never too dry, with director Gao quite obviously aiming for a glossy blockbuster feel. This does make for a rather strange mix at times, with archive wartime footage sitting alongside an endless barrage of sweeping shots of the courtroom accompanied by booming dramatic music. This leaves the film as feeling both grounded and authentic, yet at the same time forced, especially during the scenes away from the trial, which are largely ineffective, being laden with symbolism in a clumsy and cheap manner. Inevitably, the film also suffers from some pretty poor acting from the Western members of the cast, who deliver the stilted dialogue in frequently unconvincing fashion and rob the proceedings of some dramatic weight. Although this was probably inevitable with the film being unlikely to attract top Western acting talent, for a comparatively big budget film shot largely in the English language, more effort certainly could have been made.

Despite this distraction, The Tokyo Trial remains powerful and moving, though it has to be said that this is mainly due to the underlying story rather than the efforts of the film itself. Still, although it is likely to be overshadowed by later films on the subject, it does offer an interesting and measured take on the subject and provides an important insight into events which still sadly continue to plague Asian politics in modern times.

by James Mudge - BeyondHollywood.com