Devils on the Doorstep

In a small Chinese farming village, largely ignored by the Japanese invasion in the thirties, the routine of farmer Ma Dasan is suddenly disrupted when two Japanese prisoners of war are dumped in front of his door in the middle of the night. A mysterious figure who introduces himself as `I' orders Ma to guard the prisoners for a few days, until the Chinese resistance picks them up again. The prisoners, a fanatical Japanese soldier and his interpreter, are subjected to a chaotic interrogation by the ignorant villagers, who suddenly feel very important thanks to this task. However when months later no one has come to fetch the prisoners and the situation is looking more dangerous, the villagers start getting nervous. After a clumsy attempt to execute the prisoners, it is decided to give them back to the Japanese, in exchange for some sacks of grain. The paranoid commander of the Japanese troops is suspicious of the unusual offer and this has disastrous consequences.Devils on the Doorstep imposingly and entertainingly combines the characteristics of a classic war drama (such as CinemaScope) with modern cinematography and montage: crowd scenes with countless extras alongside speedy hand-held camerawork in dialogue scenes. Director and superstar Jiang Wen shows that the devils in the title do not necessarily have to be strangers.