John Rabe

John Rabe is a German businessman who has spent years in Nanjing running the local Siemens operation. As the Japanese army advances on the city in 1937, he prepares to return home, but the bombing begins before he can leave. Together with a small group of foreign businessmen, doctors and missionaries who have stayed behind, Rabe helps establish a safety zone for Chinese civilians and is chosen to lead it, putting himself in danger as the occupation unfolds.

The film is a German, Austrian, Belgian, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and French co-production directed by Florian Gallenberger, who also wrote the screenplay. It was the first feature he directed, followed by Colonia, As Green As It Gets, The Turncoat and Perfect Match. Ulrich Tukur plays Rabe, with Dagmar Manzel as his wife Dora, Steve Buscemi as Dr. Robert Wilson, Daniel Brühl as Dr. Rosen, Zhang Jingchu as Langshu and Teruyuki Kagawa as Prince Asaka Yasuhiko. The production involved 21 credited cast members and 209 credited crew, and cost about 20 million dollars.

On IMDb the film holds a rating of 7.2 from around 7,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.1 from 132 votes. The critics' rating stands at 6.5 from 36 reviews, below both audience scores. Its worldwide box office of roughly 1 million dollars is modest against its budget, suggesting the film reached a limited theatrical audience for a historical drama of this scale.