731 is a new film exploiting the infamous Unit 731, experiments done by the Japanese during World War II. It’s the most gruesome experiment imaginable. And the most frightening part is that it happened for real. There are tons of videos on YouTube and things to read up on if you like. I, personally, have a general understanding of what happened, but I haven’t gone to great lengths to fact-check or really research the history. The Japanese covered up and destroyed most of the files after World War II anyway, so I guess there’s only a fraction of documents left anyway.
In 731, the focus is on an escape from the infamous facility, which was only one of many across China and Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, it’s a part of history that we may never ever forget. It’s events that make you ashamed to be human, and that’s the very reason they may never be forgotten, just like the crimes done by the Nazis towards the Jews. Unit 731 is basically a unit where human subjects are used to test different bacterial warfare methods. At least that’s what it is in this movie. I’m not sure if that was all that was done as far as experimenting goes.
There are certainly scenes that depict other ways of cruelty in 731 as well. That brings us to the elephant in the room. Could this hold a candle to the most well-known filmization of the subject, Men Behind the Sun? Well, there are things about 731 that certainly aren’t in Men Behind the Sun. Should they be? Well, I’m all for displaying the cruelty because I think that’s the reason films like this exist. If we start displaying the event in a way that isn’t truly revolting, we’re disrespecting all the victims. 731 should be displayed with absolute terror. Some sequences in 731 seem even a bit humoristic.
No, 731 doesn’t hold up to Men Behind the Sun. On the other hand, there are great cinematic shots, and the story per se isn’t bad. It might be a little messy over time, but it isn’t really bad. It just might not be worthy in a story about Unit 731. A story like this should be dirty and gritty, not filled with beautiful, well-composed shots. Again, compare it to the shock values that Men Behind the Sun had, or even its sequels – Laboratory of the Devil and A Narrow Escape, 731 has nothing. And if we were to compare it with the dirtiest version of the story of them all – Philosophy of a Knife, it’s even less so. 731 tells the story differently, and I think it’s far too neat and beautiful for its own good.
Going back to the more technical values. It is beautifully shot many times. But it’s also kind of a caricature of what an epic should look like. I’m not sure if I can take it seriously or not. It’s a little too over-the-top in some of the grandiose shots, at least in the very beginning of the movie. You could also argue that 731 is divided into two parts. The first part, where everything is presented and we supposedly do not yet know what the film is all about, and the second part, where all the artistic freedom takes place.
I can live with the first part, even defend it. But after the first hour of the running time, roughly halfway into the movie, I lose most of my interest. It becomes far too artistic and strange. I’m not sure how the timeline is presented, and it, quite frankly, becomes a mess. The glimpses of the actual experiments that we get to see are too stylized. Again, it’s beautifully shot, and I’m not convinced about the special effects. Some seem to be practical, while others are truly computer-generated.
In the end, I need to mix my impressions of how 731 really looks and what I feel a film regarding this important subject should look and feel like. It should feel like a kick in the gut or a fist in the face – it doesn’t. That in itself must be deemed some sort of failure. On the other hand, from a technical standpoint, 731 is stunningly beautiful at times.
