Devils on the Doorstep

2001 · 2h19 · Film

Directed by Jiang Wen

Starring Jiang Wen, Hongbo Jiang, Teruyuki Kagawa, 吳大維, Ding Yuan, Cong Zhijun, Li Congxi, Li Haibin, 澤田拳也, Chen Shu

Ideal when you feel… Sad / low

During the Japanese occupation of China, two prisoners are dumped in a peasant's home in a small town. The owner is bullied into keeping the prisoners until the next New Year, at which time they will be collected. The village leaders convene to interrogate the prisoners. The townspeople then struggle to accommodate the prisoners. One is a bellicose Japanese nationalist, the other a nervous translator. Will the townspeople manage to keep the prisoners until the New Year?

Updated July 22, 2026

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