The Crossing

A battle-hardened Nationalist general who leads a bold charge in Manchuria. His rapid promotion follows a hard-won victory against Japanese lines, but the war’s toll tests his faith in glory and duty. He faces the pivot from fighting foreign invaders to contending with civil strife, and his fate remains tied to the costs of command and loyalty.

An ethnic Chinese field medic conscripted into the Japanese army, captured in Manchuria and sent to a POW camp. His loyalties are torn between his homeland and his role within the occupying force, a tension that shadows him across years. He survives the war, nurtures a complicated romance with Masako, and meets a brutal end during the 1949 maritime catastrophe.

A poor, illiterate woman who volunteers as an orderly in a Nationalist hospital and later turns to prostitution to survive wartime Shanghai. Her pursuit of a missing lover drives much of the plot, including the adoption of a fake family portrait to secure food and hope. Her resilience anchors the film’s exploration of poverty, desire, and endurance.

A signal corps sergeant who forms a bond with Yu and Lei, helps repair radios, and returns to fight even after learning harsh truths. His loyalty is tested by military deception and desertion within his ranks, and he ultimately sacrifices for Lei as the battle collapses around them. He carries Lei’s diary to the hope of reuniting loved ones.

A wealthy debutante who marries Lei and faces the fear of being sent away to Taiwan. Her world expands as she connects with Yen and discovers Masako’s diary, revealing shared longing and the cultural legacies of the island’s past. Her pregnancy and the wartime upheavals frame the personal stakes of political decisions.

A Japanese artist and Masako’s diaries anchor the cross-cultural threads of the story, linking Yen’s past with Zhou’s present. Her relationship with Yen and her own life choices underline the complexity of affection under empire and upheaval. Her memory persists through letters and sheet music that shape Zhou’s creative impulse.

A minor figure glimpsed amid the chaos of war, embodying the countless ordinary people whose lives touch the major players only briefly. The character serves as a quiet reminder of the civilians who witness history from the margins and carry its scars forward.

A nickname-bearing soldier who appears in the trenches, illustrating the rough, unglamorous reality of frontline life. His presence highlights camaraderie and the grittier humor that helps sustain troops during disorienting campaigns.

An unnamed female figure representing Shanghai’s women whose lives are upended by rationing, migration, and the war’s social changes. Her experiences reflect the broader impact of conflict on daily life and survival.