Characters & Themes
The 400 Million (1939) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained
- Release, runtime and language
- 1939 · 54 mins · English
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- Directed by
- Joris Ivens, John Fernhout
- Starring
- Sidney Lumet, Fredric March, Morris Carnovsky, Alfred Ryder, Robert Q. Lewis, Adelaide Bean
China’s 400 million inherit a storied civilization—pagodas, stone lions, water buffalo in paddies, camels across deserts—yet face Japanese invasion. Refugees flee ruined cities while Chiang Kai‑shek’s government, aided by U.S. relief to Madame Chiang, resists from coastal strongholds. Modern Republic China, founded by Sun Yat‑sen, boasts schools, heavy industry and large engineering projects, and keeps war production alive in safe villages. Armed Chinese forces fight behind enemy lines despite relentless bombing of civilians.
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Characters, themes & setting
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The 400 Million (1939) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters
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