Human decency in the midst of inhumane atrocity is the powerful emotional drive of China’s international Oscar entry, “ Dead to Rights ,” a stirring drama set during the 1937 Nanjing Massacre in the Second Sino-Japanese War. Centered on a postman who poses as a photo developer to survive the Japanese occupation while secretly hiding a group of terrified citizens, Shen Ao ’s handsomely produced follow-up to his 2023 hit “No More Bets” expertly balances intensely claustrophobic drama with spectacular depictions of the fall of Nanjing and its shocking aftermath.

Though a little melodramatic in the final stretch and containing several scenes that some viewers may find hard to watch, China’s third-biggest domestic hit of the year thus far serves as a potent reminder of a chapter in human h

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