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| International poster artwork for the historical drama film Back To 1942 (一九四二). |
Fleeing
Famine by Linh
It was wartime in 1942 and many events occurred around
the world that were war-related, including Japan’s attempts to conquer South
East Asia that involved the bombing of Darwin. This was the first time
Australia was ever attacked by an external enemy, but Japan was also in the
midst of invading China and Japanese air attacks across China caused droughts,
famine and the death of three million Chinese people.
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ANGER:
Theodore White (Adrien Brody) shoots at Japanese bomber planes overhead after
an attack on refugees in the film Back To
1942 (一九四二). Image: China Lion Film.
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The film Back To
1942 by Chinese director/writer/actor Feng Xiaogang (Aftershock, The Banquet),
is based on a memoir called Remembering
1942 by novelist Liu Zhenyun, which Feng has adapted into an epic
historical drama. Re-titled Back To 1942,
the film adaptation attempts to cover personal tragedies, a national crisis of
famine, drought, political corruption and humanitarian assistance. The film
features Academy Award winners Adrien Brody and Tim Robbins in supporting roles
as outsiders who attempt to help the starving refugees, as well as a cast of
China’s best and popular actors. The film reportedly took 18 years to be
released and made a surprise screening at the 2012 Rome Film Festival.
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DEATH:
Master Fan (Zhang Guoli) mourns the death of his mother (Liu Lili) in the film Back To 1942 (一九四二). Image: China Lion Film.
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As a native of the Henan Province in China, the film’s
narrative is particularly close to director Feng’s heart as the focus is on
Henan during the devastating drought that ravaged throughout China in 1942,
that was also under the threat of Japanese invasion and occupation. The film
follows the effects of the drought on two families living in Henan; their
struggles to escape starvation and death by fleeing their homes, the attempts
to feed their families while journeying to the North for food and the
sacrifices made for loved ones to survive.
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FAITH:
Catholic priest Sim (Zhang Hanyu) prays for the dead and the dying in the film Back To 1942 (一九四二). Image: China Lion Film.
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The film begins with the wealthy landlord Master Fan
(Zhang Guoli) who reluctantly shares his large supply of grain with his poor
neighbours and tenants, and forced to invite them to dinner for one meal.
However, Fan has arranged for troops to arrive and arrest his guests, which
results in riots and the death of Fan’s son. Fan’s residence is burnt to the
ground during the riots, so he and his daughter Xing Xing (Wang Ziwen), his
pregnant daughter-in-law (Li Quan), his mother (Liu Lili), and his servant
Zushuan (Zhang Mo) join his former tenant Xia Lu (Feng Yuanzheng) and widow Hua
Xi (Fan Xu) and millions of other refugees on the long journey in search of
food.
Meanwhile, TIME magazine journalist Theodore White (Adrien Brody)
narrowly escapes death during a Japanese bombing sequence and bears witness to
the suffering and horrors of the drought endured by the Chinese refugees. White
reports this to the Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek, pleading for more food and
grain supplies for Henan’s people. However, Nationalist leader Jiang Jiedan
(Chen Daoming) orders all grains to be seized to feed the military, and leave
the Henan residents to starve and die as the battle to prevent the Japanese
occupation continues.
Following the famine situation is a roving Catholic
priest named Sim (Zhang Hanyu) who accompanies the refugees on their journey,
and attempts to keep up their spirits with encouraging words of faith. After
escaping injury from another Japanese attack, Sim returns to church to see Father
Thomas Megan (Tim Robbins).
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HEALING:
Father Megan (Tim Robbins) tends to Sim's (Zhang Hanyu) wounds in the film Back To 1942 (一九四二). Image: China Lion Film.
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The cinematography by Lu Yue brilliantly shows the large
scale human suffering as millions of refugees trek across miles of vast and dry
land in search of food, with the muted colour tones reminding us of a time long
ago as if it were a distant memory. There are moments of the colour red
depicted but these are fleeting and are associated with either the blood of
refugees or the celebrations and pageantry of the Chinese government officials.
Perhaps this indicates that the Chinese government is willing to sacrifice its
own people in favour of the military to fight for the country’s freedom from Japanese
occupation.
The film alternates between scenes of nationalistic pride with
parades welcoming Chinese government officials and the Chinese military, and
scenes of suffering, deaths and human tragedy of refugees fighting and fleeing
from the famine to survive. The situation is so dire that Xing Xing’s black
kitten is killed and eaten; Theodore White’s donkey is stolen by some of the
refugees but ends up being eaten by the Chinese soldiers; human corpses
scattered everywhere after the Japanese bomb attacks are eaten by wild dogs;
desperate men sell their daughters and wives to corrupt Chinese officials for
sex slavery in exchange for food.
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SACRIFICE: The
widow (Fan Xu) is willing to sell herself to feed her starving children in the
film Back To 1942 (一九四二). Image: China Lion
Film.
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While the air bombing sequences are heart-breaking, the
emotional impact is heightened when human suffering is depicted but the
government’s corruption and ambiguous response to the famine raise questions of
moral obligation and responsibility. The film has a slow plodding feel, perhaps
to reflect the feelings of the refugees on their long trek for food, but there
continues to be a sense of hope despite all the tragedies and loss of loved
ones along the way.
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AUTHORITY:
Nationalist leader Jiang Jiedan (Chen Daoming) orders all grains to be held for
the military in the film Back To 1942 (一九四二).
Image: China Lion film.
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Director:
Feng Xiaogang
Writers:
Feng Xiaogang (screenplay), Liu Zhenyun (book)
Cast:
Zhang
Gouli, Zhang Mo, Xu Fan, Chen Daoming, Wang Ziwen, Adrien Brody, Tim Robbins,
James A. Beattie, Li Xuejian, Zhang Hanyu, Alfred Hsing, Fan Wei, Feng
Yuanzheng, Yao Jingyi, Peng Jiale, Li Quan, Yuan Huifang, Zhang Shaohua, Liu
Lili, Zhao Yi, Zhang Shu, Ke Lan, Lin Yongjian, Yu Zhen, Du Chun, Duan Yihong,
Zhang Guoqiang, Tian Xiaojie
Producers: Gao
Chengsheng, Bernard Yang, Hu Xiaofeng, Zhang Huali, Peter Lam, Zhang Dajun,
Albert Yeung, Li Chaoyang, Chen Kuofu, Zhao Hongmei, Zhang Qiang, Zhang Yu,
Wang Zhonglei, Yang Wenhong, Albert Lee, Shirley Lau, Stephen Lam, Han Sanping,
Lorraine Ho, Zhao Duojia, Yue Xia, Liu Wanli, Wang Zhongjun, Han Xiaoli, Song
Dai, Zhao Hai Cheng, Huang Xiang, Liu Guangquan, Chen’an, Wang Yiyang, Ren Yue,
Ni Zhengwei
Cinematographer: Lu
Yue
Original
Music Composer: Xiao Jiping
Film
Editor: Xiao Yang
Costume
Designer: Tim Yip
Languages:
Mandarin Chinese, English, Japanese, with English subtitles
Running
Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
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