Back to 1942

30/11/2012 2h 25m 6.6/10

Overview

In 1942, Henan Province was devastated by one of the most tragic famines in modern Chinese history, resulting in the deaths of at least three million men, women and children. Although the primary cause of the famine was a severe drought, it was exacerbated by locusts, windstorms, earthquakes, epidemic disease and the corruption of the ruling Kuomintang government.

Director

Feng Xiaogang

Top Billed Cast

Adrien Brody

Theodore Harold White

Xu Fan

Hua Zhi

Chen Daoming

Jiang Jieshi

Zhang Guoli

Fan Dianyuan

Zhang Hanyu

An Ximan

Zhang Mo

Shuan Zhu

Reviews

deepkino

7/5/2025

6/10

A masterpiece adapted from Liu Zhenyun's novel, focusing on the death of 3,000,000 people due to hunger and cold during the westward migration from the Henan region in 1942, triggered by Japan’s war on China. Although IMDb lists Tim Robbins and Adrien Brody among the leads, their roles are limited to no more than few scenes. The film is entirely built around Guoli Zhang, who portrays a feudal landlord of the time. The cinematography and acting are incredibly strong, immersing the viewer in the era with striking realism.