The Spring River Flows East

1947 3h 12m ZH

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 11

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

1930's China. The village of a poor family is taken over by the occupying Japanese army. One son, Zhongliang, leaves his wife and young son to join a medic group for the Chinese Army. The other son, Zhangmin goes into hiding to protect his family. The focus shifts back and forth from the brothers' parents and Zhongliang's wife and son to Zhongliang's newfound life of luxury in a town not too far away. The plight of Zhongliang's mother, his wife, Sufan and her son, Kongeson is contrasted with Zhongliang's rise in a flourishing company.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Yang Bai
Sufen
Tao Jin
Zhongliang Zhang
Wu Yin
Mother-in-law
Shangguan Yunzhu
Wenyuan He
Shu Xiuwen
Lizheng Wang
Boxun Zhou
Haogong Pang
Gongshang Yan
Xia Tian
Old Gong

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Chusheng Cai
Writers: Chusheng Cai, Zheng Jun-li
Languages: Mandarin
Countries: China

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

At 192 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

79 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Chusheng Cai, shot by Shen Xilin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Wu Tingfang shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Yang Bai and Tao Jin and Wu Yin carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0040009 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 11 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Chusheng Cai directs. Shen Xilin behind the camera. Wu Tingfang cuts. A long sit — settle in. Produced in China. Dialogue in Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1At 192 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.
279 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Chusheng Cai, shot by Shen Xilin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Wu Tingfang shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Yang Bai and Tao Jin and Wu Yin carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0040009 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 11 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.