Dead to Rights

A Japanese military photographer assigned to document the massacre. He begins with a veneer of civility but reveals a capacity for cruelty, participating in or endorsing atrocities to prove loyalty. He tests and ultimately manipulates the studio workers, and, after failing to prevent exposure of the truth, commits suicide rather than face accountability.

A quisling translator who helps the Japanese consolidate control over Nanjing. He leverages fear and the promise of passports to pressure others, and he orchestrates dangerous ruses to secure benefits for his own family at the expense of others. His opportunism intensifies the danger faced by Lin and the studio group.

An opera actress who performs to survive under occupation and becomes romantically entangled with Wang. She proves loyalty to China by risking everything, including hiding Song Cunyi and revealing the existence of a family in the studio. She endures humiliation yet remains resilient as the group presses toward an escape.

A studio owner who uses his space for shelter and leverage, ultimately sacrificing himself to enable Lin and the infant to reach the Nanjing Safety Zone. He negotiates danger and death with quiet resolve, helping to keep the group alive long enough to pursue safety and justice.

A hidden soldier smuggled into the studio who becomes a crucial ally. He commits to protecting the group and sacrifices himself by martyring during a mission, enabling others to survive within the studio’s fragility.

The postman who lies to protect himself and helps develop the photographs, acting as a bridge between the studio and the outside world. His trust is betrayed, and he dies in the fire while trying to cover up the truth behind the negatives.

The infant son of Jin Chengzong who becomes the focus of the group’s survival plan. The quest to safeguard him drives the protagonists to accept dangerous risks and make difficult choices, culminating in a flight for safety with Lin.