Sealed in Blood

By+Shi+Bosen

Few people may remember the Doolittle Raid today， an operation that was part of the World War II saga. It saw ordinary Chinese in towns and villages across Zhejiang and Jiangxi， two provinces in east China， risk their lives to save American pilots from falling into the hands of Japanese occupiers.

But now the story of the air raids by American pilots and the solidarity shown to them by the Chinese will get a fresh lease of life， thanks to a film project. The film， The Doolittle Raid， is based on the extraordinary event and its heroic aftermath， symbolizing the Sino-U.S. friendship that sprang up during that period.

The movie project was announced at the recently concluded Sixth Beijing International Film Festival. A Sino-U.S. co-production， it will hit screens around the world next year to coincide with the 72nd anniversary of the victory of the Chinese Peoples War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the end of World War II.

On April 18， 1942， U.S. forces launched raids on military targets in Japan. Sixteen bombers flew from the U.S. Navys aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean， the USS Hornet. Each bomber had a crew of five men with Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle leading the operation. As per the plan， after the raid the fighters were to fly to China and land there but all 15 that made it crashed while the 16th ended up in the then Soviet Union.

The Japanese army in China captured eight of the pilots and launched a massive manhunt for the remaining survivors. Chinese soldiers and civilians came to the pilots aid. In retribution， the Japanese conducted a massacre in the two provinces， using chemical weapons. Around 250，000 civilians were killed while the villages that had hidden the pilots were brutally ransacked.

“The American pilots were doggedly pursued by Japanese soldiers after they landed in China. How did they manage to survive？”said Guo Meiqing， the Chinese producer of the upcoming film， explaining what made them choose this nearly forgotten subject. “Books and documentaries on this subject lack details， generally implying they received help from the Chinese. I think this episode in history should be remembered by peace-loving people. This is why we began this project.”

Chief producer Anthony J. Scotti agreed.“Chinas contribution to fighting the Japanese has been overlooked，” Scotti added. “In The Doolittle Raid， I believe we have an opportunity to make a contribution toward changing that perception. This is a motion picture， not a documentary. But its true and it honors the sacrifice and the heroism of the Chinese people and courage of 80 young American airmen.”

The screenplay is by two acclaimed British screenwriters， Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais.

“A good story needs a great writer，” Scotti said. “We are lucky to have two celebrated writers， who have enough awards to fill a warehouse， working with us. But most importantly， they know the Doolittle subject very， very well. They were the writers Disney hired to fix the[2001] Pearl Harbor movie which went on to earn more than $450 million.”

The Doolittle Raid is directed by Oscarnominated Australian director Bruce Beresford， whose 1989 movie Driving Miss Daisy won the Academy Award for Best Picture. “He understands characters， he understands action and he loves China，” Scotti said.

The Chinese production team includes historians and veteran directors from the Beijingbased Central Studio of News Reels Production， a time-honored filmmaker specializing in documentaries.

Scotti said the movie not only covers the Doolittle Raid but also what happened after the American pilots landed in China， with elements of romance. He hoped the tale of young people during the war would appeal to todays youth across the globe.

The China-U.S. film cooperation is expected to enhance Chinas ability to produce quality movies and boost mutual understanding.

“With all the blood that was shed between Americans and Chinese， I can say the friendship between China and America has been sealed in blood，” Scotti added.