The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933)

Director: Frank Capra
Starring: Barbara Stanwyck, Nils Asther, Toshia Mori

Synopsis:
A missionary's fiancée falls for the charms of a Chinese warlord who holds her captive.

Impressions:
I'm rather fascinated by the pre-Code era, so I was fairly eager to see this one. Set against the backdrop of civil war in Shanghai, we have a nice exploration of culture clash, racism and ideals put to the test. The casual racism may be a bit jarring to the modern viewer, but it has a feel of genuineness to it. Though performed in yellowface, Nils Asther brings suave dignity to the character of General Yen and Barbara Stanwyck is good as the naively well-meaning but bigoted and hypocritical Megan. I also liked Walter Connolly as Yen's crooked financial advisor Jones and Toshia Mori as Yen's mistress Mah-Li. This is a good film that pushed the boundaries in its day and may even push some buttons now. Give it a watch.

Rating:
Watch It