Back To 1942 (2012)

Back To 1942 (2012)
Directed: Xiaogang Feng
Country: China

Review: On the winter of 1942, when China was being invaded by Japan, a drought hit the province of Henan leading the people to starvation. A sensible question then arises: who should be fed in the first place, the soldiers or the people? The film partially succeeds in its purpose of revealing the drama of the refugees, as well as the impassivity and disregard of the Chiang Kai-shek government. Corruption was a constant, while religion is present in a small dose, with the converting attempts and faith dilemmas becoming the weakest moments of the plot. Adrien Brody plays a small part, hardly memorable, as a journalist from Times Magazine. Photography stood out, in a 145-minute high-budget production that would have gained with some trimming. Even flawed, Feng’s new historical film was far more interesting than “The Flowers of War” or “The Children of Huang Shi”.