"There are moments of genuine emotion here, and Zhang powerfully underlines the horrors of this dreadful moment in history, but much of what happens feels cooked up, some of it plain silly. The characters' rising to the moral occasion should be deeply moving, but isn't really justified dramatically. It seems more like the triumph of sentimental movie conventions. The transformation of Bale's character is entirely predictable, and the monumental act of self-sacrifice at the climax strains credibility. And there are some dialogue clunkers. The film's grand emotions and a handful of remarkable sequences - Zhang is an undeniable talent - can't overcome these flaws."