It tells the story of a village struggling against the Dutch colonial military during the Java War, and touches on the themes of nationalism and cultural identity.

November 1828 was directed by Teguh Karya, who drew heavily on his theatre troupe Teater Popular Workshop for cast members.

[2] Production cost an estimated Rp 240 million, most of which was spent on producing historically accurate settings and props.

During Kromoludiro's torture, de Borst's second-in-command Lieutenant van Aaken admits that it was he who had informed Diponegoro's forces of the Dutch movements.

"[2] Wanning Sun notes that, seeing as Teguh Karya himself was of mixed foreign (Chinese) and local descent, November 1828 draws numerous parallels with his life, emphasizing the backgrounds of the mixed-race de Borst and van Aaken.