Tea at Trianon: City of Life and Death (2009)

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Monday, June 1, 2009

City of Life and Death (2009)

There is a new film on the horrors of the rape of Nanjing. War is truly disgusting. Share

4 comments:

Brantigny said...: It can not be refined. What happened in Nanjing, happened in The Phillipines, Malaya, Guam, french IndoChina, Korea, elsewhere in China and anywhere the Japanese captured.

Only yesterday the Japnese appologized for Bataan.

Richard; June 1, 2009 at 8:31:00 AM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: Did they? That is good.; June 1, 2009 at 8:57:00 AM EDT
Anonymous said...: Thank you for making this link as I come from Nanjing. Though my family originally came from elsewhere, I always view Nanjing as 'my city' as I was born and have grown up there. The Massacre is like a uncured scar left in my heart, as well as in the hearts of many Nanjing citizens. There is a memorial dedicated to the victims of massacre and every 13th of December is the official mourning day. The scar cuts so deep that in my point of view, no film can express that misery and relieve our grief. Here is the link to my comment of the film:
http://memoriesofpalace.blogspot.com/2009/04/nanjing-nanjing-2008.html

btw, Nanjing is a lovely city rich of culture and history, nevertheless, it is not so well known worldwide. But I'd recommend any foreign visitor to visit Nanjing if they have chance to come to China, and I'm sure that they won't regret it!; June 20, 2009 at 5:38:00 PM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: Dear Furui, I am very, very grateful to you for sharing your painful reflections with us. I will certainly read the link you sent. Merci!; June 20, 2009 at 5:56:00 PM EDT