Review – Horror in the East

Despite a title that implies yet another set of Chinese ghost stories redubbed for the American market, this is actually a BBC documentary about human rights violations associated with Japan before and during World War Two. I say “associated with” because this is one of the rare productions that covers not only the atrocities inflicted by the Japanese but also some of the horrible things that happened to them in turn. Coverage is scattershot. For example, Nanking is described in some detail, but medical experiments on POWs are scarcely mentioned at all. Nonetheless, this is worth a look. The interviews with participants on both sides are fascinating, as is some of the old footage. Mildly amusing