On October 1, 1942, a Japanese freighter named the Lisbon Maru, carrying more than 1,800 British prisoners of war captured during the Battle of Hong Kong was torpedoed by an American submarine. The attack triggered a chaotic reaction where Japanese soldiers shot any prisoner attempting to swim to safety while fishing boats rushed to help. The tragedy resulted in over 800 British soldiers losing their lives.
Director Fang Li tackles this overlooked historical event in his documentary "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru". Li, a geophysicist turned filmmaker, uses his experience in underwater exploration to delve into the story of the Lisbon Maru, whose wreckage was believed to still be at the bottom of the ocean, undiscovered and unstudied.
The film opens with Li's motivation to delve into the history of the sunken vessel and record the history (enhanced by beautiful hand-drawn animation). In his quest, Li also tries to track survivors of the sinking (only two were alive during the production of the documentary, both have since passed) and their descendants.
However, the film suffers from structural issues due to its multiple ambitions. It attempts to portray an oral history of the tragic event, the loss experienced by the families of the fallen soldiers, Li’s personal marine exploration, and at the same time aims to uncover the story of the vessel. The result is a repetitive narrative that undermines the objective of Li's project.
Furthermore, Li presents his documentary as a revelation of a little-known story. However, several sources, like historian Tony Banham who wrote an entire book on the Lisbon Maru event, contradict this. Despite these drawbacks, the film successfully presents harrowing testimonials of survivors and effectively encapsulates the grief of the families who lost their loved ones.
The documentary underscores an interesting piece of Pacific War history. Though its intent is commendable, it is hindered by Li’s decision to use the construction of his documentary as the medium of the narrative. World War 2 enthusiasts will surely appreciate the information provided but as a non-fiction film, “The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru” lacks the meticulousness its subject matter warrants.
