The Suzhou River in Shanghai once witnessed a battle rarely seen in the world. The south bank of the river represents hope; On the north bank of the river, the flames of war are raging, and there is endless despair. The film "Eight Hundred," set in 1937, represents the four-line warehouse battle. The Natio
nal Revolutionary Army 88th division 524 regiment colonel Xie Jin Yuan led 400 soldiers (for the bluff, known as 800 people). They were ordered to stay in the Shanghai Four-line warehouse to defend the Japanese 4th Marine Corps Brigade, nearly 8000 people adhere to a battle without a chance to win.
In my eyes, the South Bank is dark. People live there, but many souls die and survive in the concession of "the state within the state." There is light on the north shore, even if it is only a glimmer of fireflies. But the four hundred soldiers fought and sacrificed their lives for justice, demonstrating to the world China's determination to resist Japan and the nation's hope.
I clearly remember Xie Jin Yuan saying these words before the flag-raising ceremony: "Brothers! Because of you! Shanghai is still here!" In my perspective, he inferred that not only is "Shanghai is still here," but more importantly, "Hope is still here!"
What is hope? Some people think that hope is just an unrealistic fantasy, and some people think that it is the last ray of sunlight that man sees in despair. I believe hope is the essential spiritual sustenance of a country and a nation. Without hope, a nation loses its soul. In "Eight Hundred," the white horse as thin as wood outside the abandoned warehouse seems to be an out-of-plot symbol of hope for the soldiers trapped inside. In its simplest form, the white horse symbolizes youthful hope. The reason why China can survive in the world for 5,000 years is that the Chinese people have never lost hope. In the film, an officer wrote a letter that read, "Yu Zhi, my wife: after all of my sons grow up, they should become soldiers and serve the country. Let my descendants never suffer this humiliation again." It's not just one person who leaves a suicide note like this— it's the majority. Four-line of the warehouse security battle, Xie Jin Yuan let the officers and men write a total of 298 suicide note. It was the first letter of many people, but it was also their last. They are men, fathers, or a son of a father. Some do not even leave their names, but they tell the world: hope is still alive, China has not been defeated.
When there is hope, no matter how dark will see the light, no matter how painful, people will feel happy. In the long road of life, hope is like a beacon in the boundless sea, guiding us forward.
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