Cast
Fredric March
as Narration (voice)
Morris Carnovsky
as Additional Voice (voice)
Sidney Lumet
as Additional Voice (voice)
Robert Q. Lewis
as Additional Voice (voice)
Alfred Ryder
as Additional Voice (voice)
Adelaide Bean
as Additional Voice (voice)
Lai Sek
as Himself (archive footage)
Madame Chiang
as Herself (archive footage)
Movie Info & Details
Release Year1939
Runtime0h 54m
LanguageCantonese
CertificationNR
GenresDocumentary
Votes8
DirectorJoris Ivens, John Fernhout
WritersJoris Ivens, Dudley Nichols
TypeFeature Film
Rating6.2 out of 10
Cast8 credited
Also Known AsThe 400 Million
About The 400 Million
Joris Ivens’s wartime documentary of China’s resistance to the Japanese invasion, cross-cutting civilian exodus and bombing with the Nationalist state’s mobilization—schools, industry, dispersed war production, foreign relief—and guerrilla fighting. Framing an ancient nation of “400 million,” it contrasts tradition with modernization and closes on the unresolved question of victory.
Directed by Joris Ivens, John Fernhout, The 400 Million leans on a strong ensemble — Fredric March, Morris Carnovsky, Sidney Lumet — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1939.
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