The Brave Lion

From Zanecorpwiki

Part of the Martial Arts: 50 Movie Pack. Interesting for 70's HK film enthusiasts and as a propaganda film. This is also a public domain film.

Summary

It's the story of a semi-secret Japanese labor camp in China. The message is pretty clear: Those nasty Japanese! If only we Chinese would stick together. Chinese betrayals have given the (secretly) Japanese task masters a foothold. Lots of tragedy and death, though very much in the classic HK style that doesn't communicate so well to a modern audience.

Details and Notes

For me, the more interesting things are what the film doesn't answer. Is the camp really a secret? Have the Japanese cleverly taken over a lumber yard without the government's knowledge... during the war? The blurb about the movie says that the camp is in (Japanese) occupied territory, but then why is it secret? It would have been a far more interesting story if it was a trick through and through. But, since it's Chinese made, that would make the Japanese too clever by half.