SimilarScreen
Back to 1942

Back to 1942

History should never be forgotten.

20126.62h 25m

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.

Directed by Feng Xiaogang
Written by Liu Zhenyun
Produced by Han Sanping, Peter Lam Kin-Ngok, Albert Yeung
Box Office0Revenue: $311

Top Cast

Zhang Guoli

Zhang Guoli

Fan Dianyuan

Xu Fan

Xu Fan

Hua Zhi

Zhang Mo

Zhang Mo

Shuan Zhu

Zhang Hanyu

Zhang Hanyu

An Ximan

Chen Daoming

Chen Daoming

Jiang Jieshi

Adrien Brody

Adrien Brody

Theodore Harold White

Tim Robbins

Tim Robbins

Bishop Megan

Wang Ziwen

Wang Ziwen

Xing Xing

Fan Wei

Fan Wei

Lao Ma

Feng Yuanzheng

Feng Yuanzheng

Xia Lu

Themes & Keywords

chinadrought

About Back to 1942

Back to 1942 is a war, drama film released in 2012 exploring themes of china, drought. Directed by Feng Xiaogang, it stars Zhang Guoli, Xu Fan, Zhang Mo. 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.

Movies Similar to Back to 1942

Discover titles like Back to 1942 — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to Back to 1942

If you enjoyed Back to 1942, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of Back to 1942.

The Sand Pebbles
32% Match

Engineer Jake Holman arrives aboard the gunboat USS San Pablo, assigned to patrol a tributary of the Yangtze in the middle of exploited and revolution-torn 1926 China. His iconoclasm and cynical nature soon clash with the 'rice-bowl' system which runs the ship and the uneasy symbiosis between Chinese and foreigner on the river. Hostility towards the gunboat's presence reaches a climax when the boat must crash through a river-boom and rescue missionaries upriver at China Light Mission.

Wolf Warrior 2
31% Match

China's deadliest special forces operative settles into a quiet life on the sea. When sadistic mercenaries begin targeting nearby civilians, he must leave his newfound peace behind and return to his duties as a soldier and protector.

The King of Masks
30% Match

Wang Bianlian is an aging street performer known as the King of Mask for his mastery of Sichuan Change Art in a true story. His wife left him with and infant son over 30 years ago. The son died from illness at age 10. This left Wang a melancholy loner aching for a male descendent to learn his rare and dying art.

The Message
30% Match

After a series of assassinations in Nanking, a Japanese spy master gathers a group of suspects in a mansion, then a tense cat-and-mouse game erupts as the Chinese agent tries to keep his or her identity a secret.

Shaolin
30% Match

Shaolin(2011)

Movie6.9/10

China is plunged into strife as feuding warlords try to expand their power by warring over neighboring lands. Fuelled by his success on the battlefield, young and arrogant Hao Jie sneers at Shaolin's masters when he beats one of them in a duel. But the pride comes before a fall. When his own family is wiped out by a rival warlord, Hao is forced to take refuge with the monks. As the civil unrest spreads and the people suffer, Hao and the Shaolin masters are forced to take a fiery stand against the evil warlords. They launch a daring plan or rescue and escape.

Still Life
29% Match

Still Life(2006)

Movie7.2/10

A town in Fengjie county is gradually being demolished and flooded to make way for the Three Gorges Dam. A man and woman visit the town to locate their estranged spouses, and become witness to the societal changes.

24 City
29% Match

24 City(2008)

Movie7.0/10

As a decades-old state-run aeronautics munitions factory in downtown Chengdu, China is being torn down for the construction of the titular luxury apartment complex, director Jia Zhangke interviews various people affiliated with it about their experiences.

Blind Shaft
29% Match

Two Chinese miners, who make money by killing fellow miners and then extorting money from the mine owner to keep quiet about the "accident", happen upon their latest victim. But one of them begins to have second thoughts.

Curse of the Golden Flower
28% Match

During China's Tang dynasty the emperor has taken the princess of a neighboring province as his wife. She has borne him two sons and raised his eldest. Now his control over his dominion is complete, including the royal family itself.

Mulan: Rise of a Warrior
28% Match

When barbarian hordes threaten her homeland, the brave and cunning Mulan disguises herself as a male soldier to swell the ranks in her aging father's stead. The warrior's remarkable courage drives her through powerful battle scenes and brutal wartime strategy. Mulan loses dear friends to the enemy's blade as she rises to become one of her country's most valuable leaders — but can she win the war before her secret is exposed?

House of Flying Daggers
28% Match

In 9th century China, a corrupt government wages war against a rebel army called the Flying Daggers. A romantic warrior breaks a beautiful rebel out of prison to help her rejoin her fellows, but things are not what they seem.