The 400 Million
{{Short description|1939 documentary}}
{{about|the 1939 film|the book|The 400 Million (book)}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The 400 Million
| image =
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| native_name =
| director = Joris Ivens
| producer =
| writer = Joris Ivens
John Ferno
| screenplay =
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| starring =
| narrator = Fredric March
| music = Hanns Eisler
| cinematography = John Ferno
Robert Capa
| editing = Helen van Dongen
| studio =
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| released = {{film date|1939|3|7|US}}
| runtime = 52 minutes
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}}
The 400 Million, also known as China in 1938, was a 1939 black-and-white documentary film by Dutch filmmaker Joris Ivens about the Second Sino-Japanese War, part of the East Asian theater of World War II. The filmmaker moved between the Republican, Communist, and guerrilla forces of the Chinese resistance to Japanese invasion. Their dialogue in Mandarin is accompanied by English translations read by American actors.Anderson, Kevin Taylor. [https://books.google.com/books?id=JdSNAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA432 "The 400 Million (Holland, Ivens, 1938)" in Encyclopedia of the Documentary Film, Vol. 1, pp. 432 f.] Routledge (New York), 2006.Anderson, Kevin Taylor. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ay5rIWCXlLsC&pg=PA262 "The 400 Million (Holland, Ivens, 1939)" in The Concise Routledge Encyclopedia of the Documentary Film, pp. 262 f.] Routledge (New York), 2013. {{ISBN|9780415596428}}.
Name
The title refers to the population of China, estimated from the highly untrustworthy official censuses.Tanner, Harold Miles. [https://books.google.com/books?id=clma-5EymBkC&pg=PA146 China: A History, Vol. 2: "From the Great Qing Empire through the People's Republic of China", p. 146, n. 33.] Hackett (Indianapolis), 2010. {{ISBN|9781603842020}}.
Narrative
The film begins with the carnage left by Japanese bombing in northeastern China, describing it as an unprovoked act of aggression. It then provides a brief overview of Chinese history and its connections and importance to Europe and North America. It discusses the modernization undertaken by the Republic and suggests that nascent development provoked Japan's attack. Japan's history of aggression is detailed, with the United States's continuing exports of iron and steel to the country pointedly noted. The film takes pains to present the Chinese factions as united against the invaders and ends with some small Chinese victories to suggest a turning tide of battle, especially praising the 8th Route Army.
Legacy
Footage from the film was later incorporated into Frank Capra's American propaganda film The Battle of China, which also made prominent use of "The March of the Volunteers", the song which later became the Chinese National Anthem.
The camera from the film was donated by Ivens to the Chinese Communist Party, which used it to begin the Yan'an Film Group.
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029832/ The 400 Million] at the Internet Movie Database
{{Robert Capa}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:400 Million}}
Category:Dutch documentary films
Category:Chinese documentary films