The Bitter Tea of General Yen

Notable for portraying interracial romance in a time when it was rarely seen (only Broken Blossoms springs to mind). But it's also fueled by power plays... sexual, emotional, and psychological. Until the end, we're never quite sure if the characters are falling in love or simply toying with each other. It makes for some surprising developments. Whether this is bad writing or simply a product of the unusual, almost lyrical nature of the film, I'm not sure. But it certainly is interesting viewing.

General Yen to Stanwyck: "I'm afraid you are getting wet." Well, yes...but perhaps not in the way to which he was referring. Often inadvertently amusing (the dream-fantasy sequence is hilarious), Stanwyck does her best with the naïve, preachy heroine, which is considerable. Pauline Kael calls this "one of the most sensuously atmospheric (and least cloying) of Frank Capra's films," though it's still a bit heavy-handed with the moralizing. Yen is the most interesting character in the movie.

85.50

Interesting look at interracial romance, filled with ethnic stereotypes of the 1930s.

Star Rating: ★★★1/2

Very well made, but why did she love him? Inner life and sense is elusive, but art and camera are too beautiful.

"Powerful naivete." http://illusionpodcast.blogspot.com/2014/11/episode-38-frank-caprabarbara-stanwyck.html

Frank Capra #3

I don't think Stanwyck has ever been as radiant as when she stepped into his room with full makeup and that sparkly gown.

Barbara Stanwyck, a missionary in China, gets kidnapped by a Chinese General/criminal and we get a Hollywood tale about how beautiful Chinese culture is and how evil and worthless their people are. And we have a Dane/Swede Nils Asther as the Chinaman. He does okay I guess, but it's Stanwyck preaching about human worth that this movie is all about. Frank Capra get a good story out of it, the visuals is the best thing about this. While it's easy to hate the bad guys, the story gets too moralistic.

#986

I'll take early Capra (Miracle Woman, Lady for a Day, Bitter Tea) over his more-feted mid-period. There's a buzz of energy in these films that hasn't hardened into stridency yet.

The world's cutest Christian missionary gets taken into custody by a Chinese warlord. The two of them get up to something that's, like, y'know, FORBIDDEN. Silly in the way '30s Hollywood movies often were (e.g. patronizing attitudes toward the Chinese, very bad racial impersonations, etc.) but there's much to enjoy here. Walter Connolly in particular is great as such a complete son of a bitch that he *has* to carry a gun to avoid getting his ass kicked daily