Once Upon a Time in the Middle East vs Taking Sides
Once Upon a Time in the Middle East has the higher audience score (9.2/10 against 6.2/10 for Taking Sides). Taking Sides is the shorter watch at 1h 48m compared with 2h 20m. Taking Sides is the older of the two (2002 against 2026). Both are drama, war movies, so they suit a similar mood.
Once Upon a Time in the Middle East
Taking Sides| Once Upon a Time in the Middle East | Taking Sides | |
|---|---|---|
| Audience score | ★ 9.2/10 | ★ 6.2/10 |
| Year | 2026 | 2002 |
| Length | 2h 20m | 1h 48m |
| Genres | Drama, War | Drama, Music, War |
| Country | – | – |
| Director | Wen Muye | István Szabó |
| Main cast | Aarif Rahman, Jiang Qiming, Wei Qing, Michael Koltes, Zhang Xiwei | Harvey Keitel, R. Lee Ermey, August Zirner, Moritz Bleibtreu, Stellan Skarsgård |
Synopsis
Once Upon a Time in the Middle East
Xu Fu travels to the Middle East to work as a chef in a Chinese restaurant to pay off family debts, where he meets floor manager Ma Junsheng. Their Dragon Restaurant rises to fame, attracting crowds with authentic‑tasting Chinese food. But war breaks out, and local conditions take a drastic turn for the worse. No one can remain unaffected. What lies ahead for them? And how will the Dragon Restaurant hold on amid the war?
Taking Sides
One of the most spectacular and renowned conductors of the 1930s, Wilhelm Furtwangler's reputation rivaled that of Toscanini's. After the war, he was investigated as part of the Allies' de-Nazification programme. In the bombed-out Berlin of the immediate post-war period, the Allies slowly bring law and order to bear on an occupied Germany. An American major is given the Furtwangler file, and is told to find everything he can and to prosecute…
Where to watch
Where to watch Once Upon a Time in the Middle EastWhere to watch Taking Sides
More like Once Upon a Time in the Middle East · More like Taking Sides · Compare other titles