Back to 1942 (2012)

★ 6.7 2h 25m 87 votes IMDb
Drama War
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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.

Back to 1942

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Cast

Zhang Guoli
Zhang Guoli as Fan Dianyuan Age 71 · Tianjin, China Zhang Guoli is a Chinese film actor and director. Before transitioning to film and television, he began his career as a crosstalk performer. He is best known for portraying emperors in various dramas...
Xu Fan
Xu Fan as Hua Zhi Age 59 · Wuhan, Hubei, China Xu Fan (Chinese: 徐帆 , born 16 August 1967) is a Chinese actress and Asian Film Awards winner. She married film director Feng Xiaogang in 1999 and has starred in a number of films and television series...
Zhang Mo
Zhang Mo as Shuan Zhu Age 44 · Chengdu，Sichuan Province，China
Zhang Hanyu
Zhang Hanyu as An Ximan Age 62 · Beijing, China Zhang Hanyu is a Chinese actor. Zhang became the first Chinese actor to win the "Grand Slam", winning Best Actor trophies from the Golden Horse Awards, Golden Rooster Awards, Hundred Flowers Awards an...
Chen Daoming
Chen Daoming as Jiang Jieshi Age 71 · Tianjin, China Chen Daoming (born 26 April 1955) is a Chinese actor who has starred in various genres of film and television series..
Adrien Brody
Adrien Brody as Theodore Harold White Age 53 · New York City, New York, USA Adrien Nicholas Brody (born April 14, 1973) is an American actor and visual artist. Prolific in both independent films and blockbusters, he has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards...
Director Feng Xiaogang
Cast Zhang Guoli, Xu Fan, Zhang Mo, Zhang Hanyu, Chen Daoming, Adrien Brody, Tim Robbins, Wang Ziwen, Fan Wei, Feng Yuanzheng

Audience Reviews

deepkino 6/10 Jul 05, 2025
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.

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