The article provides a general overview of the stages of the Sino-Japanese War’s (1937- 1945) perception. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the historical memory was controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, that was largely reflected in the media, literature, cinematography, etc. Therefore, the cultural life of the Chinese people was affected by the international relations. Cinematography is able to describe country's attitude to a particular problem. Moreover, some themes may be more interesting to the society than the others. So, can we say that Sino-Japanese War is as relevant in Chinese cinema as, for example, the theme of the Great Patriotic War in Russia? The answer to this question is the main goal of the article.