The characters in My Chief, My Regiment are constantly aware of their mortality, and as a result even the most banal activities become intense. The camerawork in the show, often shaky as though being filmed by one of the soldiers, helps create an authentic atmosphere.

War dramas are a perfect way to bring out the best and the worst in people. Kang described the characters in his show as “tough but with tender hearts”. In one scene, soldiers are seen looking solemn after hearing a Japanese prisoner sing a song about his hometown.

But perhaps most importantly war dramas can serve as a memory and tribute to everyone who has died in war – whichever side they were fighting for. In one moving scene from My Chief, My Regiment Chinese soldiers bury a Japanese soldier they have killed.

It is a timely reminder that we are better off keeping war out of the real world, and on the TV screen.

Historical background

THE TV drama is based on the award-winning novel by Lan Xiaolong, which shares the same title. However, there are some differences between the TV adaptation and the novel .

Lan focuses on a less-well known part of Chinese military history during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in 1942. In that year, Chinese troops landed in Myanmar to support British allied force operations. One of the aims was to protect the Yunnan-Myanmar Road. The road was important as it served as a war supply route to China after China’s ports fell under Japanese control.

The Chinese troops won several key battles, but later had to make a strategic withdrawal. Of the 100,000 strong Chinese Expeditionary Force sent to fight, only around 40,000 returned home.

英语词汇解析：

词汇解析

banal 平凡的, 陈腐的

billboard布告板,广告牌

chalkboard 黑板

cynical愤世嫉俗的

deceit欺骗, 谎言

expeditionary 远征的

Myanmar 缅甸

mortality死亡率

period过去某段时期的

ratio比, 比率

reassurance 放心

reminder提醒的人, 暗示

repellent排斥的

sheer 纯粹的

solemn庄严的

underlines 加下划线

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