Looking at the news of Zhang Chunru's suicide, Zhang Ran suddenly remembered a past incident, when he was studying at UCLA, he once talked about World War II in class. Pen Fun Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 infoAs a Chinese, Zhang Ran naturally talked about Nanjing and talked about the Nanjing Massacre.

But Zhang Ran got a response: "How can the Japanese be so civilized and slaughter?

"You're not mistaken, how could the Japanese slaughter?"

"You have been brainwashed by ***, this is definitely a lie of *** government!"

Zhang Ran was very angry about this, but there was nothing he could do. Because in the modern history of education in Western countries, there are very few references to China, only 918, the cultural partition, and a certain assembly, and the others are not mentioned at all. Not to mention the Nanjing Massacre, even China is an important battlefield in World War II, many people don't know.

Japan is an ally of the United States, and many Europeans and Americans have a good impression of it because of its excellent goods, civilized and polite people, samurai culture, and a large number of cartoons.

Under these circumstances, no one believed that the Nanjing Massacre ever existed.

However, a few months later, when the class discussed World War II again, Zhang Ran put a book in front of everyone and showed them page by page. The bloody photographs in the book shocked everyone present, who knew for the first time that Japan, a so-called civilized country, had done such a conscientious thing.

That book is Zhang Chunru's "Nanjing Massacre"!

Zhang Chunru has not only changed the views of a few students, she is like a light, illuminating a history forgotten by the European and American media, and lifting the fig leaf of the so-called "civilized people". Since then, the mainstream media in Europe and the United States have finally appeared to complain about the Nanjing Massacre.

In the process of collecting materials, Zhang Chunru found Mr. John Rabe's diary of the Nanjing Massacre, and unearthed the "Weitling Diary" from the special collection of Yale University, which had been dormant for many years.

Zhang Chunru's "Nanjing Massacre" hit the New York Times bestseller list within a month and was named the most popular book of the year. Among the famous best-selling columns such as "Los Angeles Times" and "USA Today", "Nanjing Massacre" is also on the list.

The American magazine Newsweek commented on the book: "It is a bold retrospective of the most heinous episodes of World War II, and changes the situation in which all English-speaking countries do not have a detailed record of the historical event of the Nanjing Massacre." ”

In Zhang Ran's heart, Zhang Chunru has always been a real hero, an angel of justice, and a respectable warrior, but he didn't expect Zhang Chunru to end his life in such a way.

Zhang Ran thought of Weitling, the great woman who saved countless people in Nanjing in 37 years and was hailed as a living bodhisattva by the people, who also chose to commit suicide after returning to the United States.

Two great women have different paths, why?

Maybe they all stayed in that terrible memory and never came back, maybe they were full of despair of humanity!

Zhang Ran didn't know, but he knew what he had to do.

A tribute to two great women in the name of the film!

On November 18, Zhang Chunru's body was held at the Spangler Funeral Home in Las Athos, Northern California.

On the lawn outside the funeral home, there is a huge colorful portrait of Zhang Chunru with a contemplative appearance in front of his life. One of Zhang Chunru's favorite photos of her life is displayed on the right side of the mourning hall decorated with flowers and ribbons.

In the funeral parlor, a large poster of Zhang Chunru's book "Nanjing Massacre" was hung at the entrance. Zhang Chunru's master's degree certificate obtained at Johns Hopkins University, the enlarged photo of the September '98 edition of the English edition of Reader's Digest with Zhang Chunru's portrait on the cover, and dozens of photos of Zhang Chunru during his lifetime, including the family joy with former President Clinton and his wife, wedding, and the birth of a baby, are also displayed in front of the lobby.

At about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, people from all walks of life lined up and slowly entered the mourning hall for a final farewell.

Zhang Ran and Bai Yunfei walked into the hall and saw a young Chinese man and a white man standing next to the coffin, accepting the condolences of the visitors. They are Zhang Chunru's younger brother and husband, looking sad and haggard.

Zhang Ran and Bai Yunfei walked to the coffin and looked at Zhang Chunru in the coffin. The great woman lay in the crimson coffin, looking serene, as if she were asleep.

You are a true hero and we will not forget you!

Zhang Ran said something in his heart, and then said to Zhang Chunru's husband and younger brother: "Mourning is smooth." ”

"Thank you!" Zhang Ran Chunru's brother replied, and her husband nodded at Zhang Ran and Bai Yunfei.

Zhang Ran was very sad in his heart, didn't know what to say, bowed three times to the coffin, and then turned to leave.

"Don't you want to make an appointment to talk to them and make a movie about Zhang Chunru?" Bai Yunfei walked beside Zhang Ran, puzzled.

"yes, I was going to make an appointment. Zhang Ran sighed slightly, "But in the face of the sad eyes of her relatives, I don't know how to speak." Wait, wait until they're calmed down, and then come back to them. ”

"Also, it's really inappropriate to talk about it at this time. Bai Yunfei has a strong nationalist sentiment and is very supportive of Zhang Ran's film, "I think it's a good idea to shoot Zhang Chunru." She is very famous, she is the author of "Nanjing Massacre", and I think that describing the Nanjing Massacre from her perspective can attract more attention!"

"The whole world knows about Auschwitz, about the Nazis killing the Jews. Because the Jews made countless films that responded to the Holocaust, every year, on a variety of subjects and styles. Why do so few people know about the Nanjing Massacre in the West? Because there are too few works to speak out internationally. ”

"yes, we don't have our own Schindler's List, and we don't have an influential Holocaust movie. Our voice is too weak! Now the most famous Chinese directors are Ang Lee, Wu Yusen, and you. The two of them probably won't make this kind of subject, and I'm afraid you're the only one who can make an influential movie!"

"You think too highly of me, but I'll do my best!" Zhang Ran said firmly.

At this moment, a voice came from behind him: "Please wait a minute!"

Zhang Ran and Bai Yunfei stopped and turned around, talking to a middle-aged couple in their fifties and sixties, dressed in black and looking extremely sad. Zhang Ran looked at the two of them with an inquiring expression, not knowing what was going on with them. The middle-aged woman spoke: "We are Zhang Chunru's parents!"

When Zhang Ran and Bai Yunfei heard this, they hurriedly bowed and saluted: "Hello, please mourn!"

Zhang Chunru's mother looked at Zhang Ran and said, "You are Zhang Ran, the director of "Time and Space Warriors"?"

Zhang Ran said respectfully: "Yes, I am Zhang Ran." ”

Zhang Chunru's parents know Zhang Ran, and recently the Chinese media rated Zhang Chunru, Yao Ming, and Zhang Ran as the three most eye-catching Chinese young people in the United States at the moment: "Thank you for coming to condole, I think we can talk about it, Chunru's last wish is to make a film about the Nanjing Massacre, and we also hope that someone can fulfill her last wish!"

Zhang Ran looked at Zhang Chunru's parents and asked carefully, "We have no problem, I don't know if it's convenient for you?"

Zhang Chunru's parents said: "Yes, convenient!"

The four of them came out of the funeral home and found a café nearby to sit down. After a brief self-introduction, Zhang Ran learned that Zhang Chunru's parents were both professors at the University of Illinois. As scientists, they were able to face their daughter's death with relative calm.

Zhang Chunru's mother sighed slightly: "Chunru has always wanted to make a film about the Nanjing Massacre, and she firmly believes that the power of film communication is far greater than books. She wanted the film to be world-class, similar to "Schindler's List." Chunru had been preparing for this event for a long time before his death, but it never came to fruition, and no film company was interested in the story of the Nanjing Massacre. ”

Zhang Ran knew why it was difficult for Zhang Chunru to realize his wishes: First, American audiences were very little interested in the Nanjing Massacre; second, Japan was the second largest film market in the world, and Hollywood studios were unwilling to offend Japan; third, the Japanese had a great influence in Hollywood, and the boss of Columbia Pictures was Sony, and Warner and Sony were in an alliance, and other Hollywood film giants also cooperated with Japanese companies.

A few years later, Zhang Yimou's "The Thirteen Hairpins of Jinling" was attacked by many inexplicable critics in North America, and was labeled as nationalist and chauvinistic, saying that the movie made the Japanese into beasts, and even took out the premiere of "The Thirteen Hairpins of Jinling" at the CPPCC Office to talk about it, saying that it was a political propaganda film.

Zhang Ran knew what the result would be when this film was filmed, and it would definitely be besieged by North American film critics.

However, Zhang Ran is fearless, as a Chinese, he has the responsibility to make such a movie!

Zhang Chunru even took his own life, is he still afraid of scolding?

Zhang Ran said very seriously: "What I want to make is a biopic of Zhang Chunru, how she discovered "Weitling's Diary" and "Rabe's Diary", and how she completed the book "Nanjing Massacre" under difficult circumstances. She is a true hero and should be remembered!"

Zhang Chunru's parents' eyes were red: "Thank you, we hope that people will remember that our daughter is a historian, writer and human rights fighter who has worked hard for justice and to correct mistakes." Her life was short, but it was worth it. ”

Zhang Ran nodded firmly: "This is what I hope to do." I've already figured out the name of the movie, it's called "Angel of Justice". However, I am still too young, and I am involved in such a heavy subject as the Nanjing Massacre, so it may be difficult to shoot now, and I am afraid that I will not be able to shoot it well. But if you allow it, I will take ten years, or even longer, to prepare. Until all the preparations are made, then start shooting. I want to be able to make a movie to the highest level and release it around the world!"

This is not Zhang Ran's modesty, let alone self-indulgence, the movie is indeed related to the precipitation of the director's age and experience.

In '83, Spielberg bought the rights to the novel "Schindler's List" and met Pfefpberg, who devoted his life to telling the story of Schindler's salvation of the Jews in order to repay Schindler's life. Pfeiffberg asked, when will the film start shooting? Spielberg replied, ten years later.

Spielberg at the time really didn't have enough ability to handle such a heavy film, even before that he was a very successful film director. Ten years of obsessed with a sword, and it is precisely because of this decade of precipitation that he made "Schindler's List" into a masterpiece.

Lu Chuan consulted Spielberg before filming "Nanjing", and Spielberg told him at that time, don't shoot now, you are too young, at least wait until you are 45 years old to shoot. It's a pity that Lu Chuan didn't listen to it, and finally made "Nanjing Nanjing" into a four-way film.

Zhang Ran is not in a hurry to make this movie, in addition to the lack of accumulation, there is another important reason, he is worried that the movie will be a copy of "The Thirteen Hairpins of Jinling", and it will only be released on a small scale in a few theaters, and it will not cause the slightest wave. So, he has to wait until he is strong enough to shoot!

Zhang Chunru's parents glanced at each other and felt that it was right to let Zhang Ran come to shoot: "We are very happy to hear you say this." You are a responsible director and believe that you can make a good film. If you see this in heaven, you will be happy!" )