People's Daily on Pride

[Ono Seiko and Aaron Gerow]

It was also reported in the papers that the Chinese _People's Daily_ ???
???published an editorial article on the 14th severely criticizing the 
production of _Puraido: Unmei no toki_, the Toei-released film that 
focuses on Tojo Hideki and the Tokyo war crimes trails.  The film, which 
opens on May 23rd, has already sparked criticism inside Japan for 
reportedly depicting Tojo favorably.

The Chinese paper declared (translating from the Japanese) that 
"fabricating this kind of movie is a threat to the people of Asia and a 
challenge against international society."  Entitled "The Beautification 
of War Criminals Cannot Be Excused", the article said that "the filming 
of _Pride_ is not an accident, but a product of the expansion of 
right-wing forces in Japanese society."

While I haven't seen the film, the fact that one of the first previews 
was for LDP members and that the print ads basically construct Tojo as a 
Japanese Jefferson Smith (the top blurb: "Tojo vs. America: A sole 
individual's fight with a nation's pride at stake"; and the "quote" from 
Tojo: "I will fight. At this rate, Japan and the Japanese will be 
rendered the worst of nations and peoples."), my impression is that the 
People's Daily is not too far off the mark.

Anyone (such as Mark) seen the film yet?

Aaron Gerow
YNU