''Inside Fighting China'' is a 1941 22-minute Canadian
short documentary film
A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...
produced by the
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...
for distribution by
United Artists
United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stud ...
, as part of the wartime ''
The World in Action
''The World in Action'' (aka ''World in Action'') was a monthly series of propaganda films from the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), created to boost morale and show the Allied war effort during the Second World War.
The series was inspired ...
'' series. The film documents
China's resistance to
Japan's invasion during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. ''Inside Fighting China'' is directed by
Stuart Legg, and
narrated
A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether nonfictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travelogue, etc.) or fictional ( fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller, novel, etc.). N ...
by
Lorne Greene
Lorne Hyman Greene (born Lyon Himan Green; 12 February 1915 – 11 September 1987) was a Canadian actor, musician, singer and radio personality. His notable television roles include Ben Cartwright on the Western ''Bonanza'' and Commander Ad ...
. The film's
French version title is ''La Chine sous les armes''.
Synopsis
In 1931, while the United States and the United Kingdom are mired in the
Great Depression and consumed with domestic strife, Japanese territorial ambitions on China have not provoked international attention. With their diplomats extolling a new
East Asian empire, Japan began a campaign to brutally subjugate China.
Following the
Mukden Incident and the
Japanese invasion of Manchuria
The Empire of Japan's Kwantung Army invaded Manchuria on 18 September 1931, immediately following the Mukden Incident. At the war's end in February 1932, the Japanese established the puppet state of Manchukuo. Their occupation lasted until the ...
, China's call for an investigation of war crimes, resulted in the
League of Nations
The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...
probing the use of poison gas and
"liquid fire" by Japan. The international body ultimately did not intervene to end the Japanese aggression, allowing Japan as an occupying force to exploit the raw material resources of the region.
Manchuria was only the first "stepping stone" in Japan's plans, with the conquest of China leading to future aspirations on Burma and India. By 1937, plans were in place for a rapid
three-month campaign that would collapse any Chinese resistance. Initially, the Japanese scored major victories, such as the
Battle of Shanghai
The Battle of Shanghai () was the first of the twenty-two major engagements fought between the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the Republic of China (ROC) and the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) of the Empire of Japan
The also ...
, and overrunning the Chinese capital of
Nanking
Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...
.
Slowly, China began to react to the Japanese invasion with individuals rallying behind the Communist and Nationalist groups that had once been vying for power. In political rallies, at schools, even in the fields, ordinary Chinese were coming together not only to stem the tide of Japanese attacks but also to address the economic and social needs that have bedevilled China. "... people still needed to learn how to conquer poverty, promote the well being of people and labour for the common good."
After failing to stop the Japanese in
Wuhan
Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the ninth-most populous Chinese city an ...
, the Chinese central government was relocated to
Chongqing in the Chinese interior. By 1939, Chinese victories in
Changsha
Changsha (; ; ; Changshanese pronunciation: (), Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is the Capital city, capital and the largest city of Hunan Province of China. Changsha is the 17th most populous city in China with a popul ...
and
Guangxi continued to put pressure on the beleaguered Chinese military. The Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...
in 1941, however, brought the United States into the
global conflict
Global means of or referring to a globe and may also refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Global'' (Paul van Dyk album), 2003
* ''Global'' (Bunji Garlin album), 2007
* ''Global'' (Humanoid album), 1989
* ''Global'' (Todd Rundgren album), 2015
* Bruno ...
on the side of the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
.
With
Western allies
The Allies, formally referred to as the United Nations from 1942, were an international military coalition formed during the Second World War (1939–1945) to oppose the Axis powers, led by Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy ...
finally reacting to the Japanese threat in the
Far East
The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.
The ter ...
, war matériel was shipped to China. Other nations, including Canada, trained Chinese soldiers and airmen. Facing a new Chinese resolve, despite the Japanese victories and incursions deep into the interior territories, the stretched lines of the occupying forces resulted in the
war in China deteriorating into an
impasse
A bargaining impasse occurs when the two sides negotiating an agreement are unable to reach an agreement and become deadlocked. An impasse is almost invariably mutually harmful, either as a result of direct action which may be taken such as a s ...
.
Cast
*
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
* Yashido Kichibu, Japanese diplomat
*
Hideki Tojo
Hideki Tojo (, ', December 30, 1884 – December 23, 1948) was a Japanese politician, general of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), and convicted war criminal who served as prime minister of Japan and president of the Imperial Rule Assistan ...
, Japanese diplomat
* Yosuki Matusoka, Japanese diplomat
* Keishi Yokosawa, Japanese diplomat
*
Emperor Hirohito
Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...
Production
Typical of the NFB's Second World War documentary
short film
A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
s in ''The World in Action'' series, ''Inside Fighting China'' was made in cooperation with the Director of Public Information, Herbert Lash.
["Recognize leadership of Winnipeg women."](_blank)
'The Winnipeg Tribune'', April 18, 1941. Retrieved: February 9, 2016. The film was created as a morale boosting
propaganda film
A propaganda film is a film that involves some form of propaganda. Propaganda films spread and promote certain ideas that are usually religious, political, or cultural in nature. A propaganda film is made with the intent that the viewer will ad ...
.''Inside Fighting China'' was a
compilation documentary
A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...
that relied heavily on newsreel material, edited by Stuart Legg to provide a coherent story.
[Morris, Peter]
"Film Reference Library: Canada Carries On."
''Canadian Film Encyclopedia''. Retrieved: February 11, 2016.
The deep baritone voice of stage actor
Lorne Greene
Lorne Hyman Greene (born Lyon Himan Green; 12 February 1915 – 11 September 1987) was a Canadian actor, musician, singer and radio personality. His notable television roles include Ben Cartwright on the Western ''Bonanza'' and Commander Ad ...
was featured in the narration of ''Inside Fighting China''. Greene, known for his work on both radio broadcasts as a news announcer at ''
CBC'' as well as narrating many of the ''Canada Carries On'' series. His sonorous recitation led to his nickname, "The Voice of Canada", and to some observers, the "voice-of-God".
[Rist 2001, p. 84.] When reading grim battle statistics or narrating a particularly serious topic, he was known as "The Voice of Doom".
Reception
''Inside Fighting China'' was produced in 35 mm for the theatrical market. To ensure that Canadians from coast-to-coast could see them, each film was shown over a six-month period as part of the shorts or newsreel segments in approximately 800 theatres across Canada. After the success of ''
Warclouds in the Pacific
''Warclouds in the Pacific'' is a 20-minute 1941 Canadian documentary film, part of the ''Canada Carries On'' series of short films by the National Film Board of Canada.Ohayon, Albert"Propaganda cinema at the NFB."''National Film Board of Canad ...
'', the NFB was able to make a further arrangement with United Artists for additional titles to be distributed in the United States.
[Ellis and McLane 2005, p. 122.]
After the six-month theatrical tour ended, individual films were made available on 16 mm to schools, libraries, churches and factories, extending the life of these films for another year or two. They were also made available to film libraries operated by university and provincial authorities. A total of 199 films were produced before the series was canceled in 1959.
[Ohayon, Albert]
"Propaganda cinema at the NFB".
''National Film Board of Canada'', July 13, 2009. Retrieved: February 13, 2016.
Historian Malek Khouri, in analyzing ''Inside Fighting China'' and the role of propaganda in the NFB wartime documentaries, said. "During the early years of the NFB, its creative output was largely informed by the turbulent political and social climate the world was facing. World War II, Communism, unemployment, the role of labour unions, and working conditions were all subjects featured by the NFB during the period from 1939 to 1946".
Khouri further stated: "unity between people from different political viewpoints is essential for defeating fascism and other forms of oppression. Such unity is also crucial for building a better and more prosperous future. Sending home a familiar message on the need to overcome political differences, Legg cites the example of the Popular Front in China, where Nationalists and Communists joined together in the resistance against the Japanese invasion in the late 1930s. ... earlier western governments' ignoring of economic and social problems eventually also led them to ignoring the growing menace of fascism which fed on social instability and lack of equitable social systems. The film also condemns the inaction of western governments in relation to the pre-war Japanese invasion of China. In a phraseology that echoes those used in statements by leaders of Communist and Popular Front movements in Canada and around the world, the film affirms that to counter all kinds of oppression people need to 'organize and unite'."
Awards
''Inside Fighting China'' was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature
An academy ( Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosoph ...
at the
15th Academy Awards
The 15th Academy Awards was held in the Cocoanut Grove at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on March 4, 1943, honoring the films of 1942. The ceremony is most famous for the speech by Greer Garson; accepting the award for Best Actress, Gar ...
in 1942, as part of an expanded category featuring over two dozen nominations for
World War II Allied propaganda films.
["1942 (15th Academy Awards)."](_blank)
''Academy Awards Database'' (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...
). Retrieved: February 13, 2016.
"... 'Inside Fighting China', one of the earlier films to talk about China's struggles with Japan. It came out two years before Frank Capra's full length documentary 'The Battle of China'."
[Sobieniak, Christophe]
"Best Documentary Highlights Double Feature (1942)."
''Best Animated Short'', August 17, 2013. Retrieved: February 13, 2016.
See also
* ''
Warclouds in the Pacific
''Warclouds in the Pacific'' is a 20-minute 1941 Canadian documentary film, part of the ''Canada Carries On'' series of short films by the National Film Board of Canada.Ohayon, Albert"Propaganda cinema at the NFB."''National Film Board of Canad ...
'' (1941) NFB documentary that warned of an imminent Japanese attack on the United States
* ''
Pincers on Japan
''Pincers on Japan'' ''(Piège à Nippon)''is a 19-minute 1943 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). The film was directed by James Beveridge, who also produced and directed a similar NFB documentary, '' Look ...
'' (1941), a NFB documentary on the
Pacific War
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
* Bennett, Linda Greene. ''My Father's Voice: The Biography of Lorne Greene''. Bloomington, Indiana: iUniverse, Inc., 2004. .
* Brinkley, Douglas and Michael Haskew. ''The World War II Desk Reference''. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. p. 368. .
* Ellis, Jack C. and Betsy A. McLane. ''New History of Documentary Film''. London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005. .
* Khouri, Malek. ''Filming Politics: Communism and the Portrayal of the Working Class at the National Film Board of Canada, 1939-46.'' Calgary, Alberta, Canada: University of Calgary Press, 2007. .
* Rist, Peter. ''Guide to the Cinema(s) of Canada''. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001. .
External links
Watch ''Inside Fighting China'' at NFB.ca''Inside Fighting China'' at NFB Collections website* {{IMDb title, 0034897, Inside Fighting China
1941 films
English-language Canadian films
Canadian black-and-white films
Canadian short documentary films
National Film Board of Canada documentaries
National Film Board of Canada short films
Second Sino-Japanese War films
Films directed by Stuart Legg
Documentary films about the Republic of China (1912–1949)
1941 documentary films
Black-and-white documentary films
The World in Action
Quebec films
1940s Canadian films