Hollywood Chinese

Hollywood Chinese, directed by Arthur Dong in 2007, is a documentary we watched which depicted both the history and national view of Asian and Asian American actors in the 1900's. It brought interviews from predominant figures in the cinema world today, including writers, directors and actors.
The documentary showed candid interviews which touched on topics like stereotypes and limited casting roles for Asian American actors. It also depicted the job market and casting roles that would develop throughout the 20th century. It touched on current films but also went back to movies and musicals that Nancy Kwan starred in. The film talked about Bruce Lee, and the development of the martial arts roles that would develop for Asian American actors. Other examples were films from the silent era and one of the first leading male roles for an Asian American actor, to the first silent film made by and Asian American.  It also touched on the market for non Asian actors to play Asian roles, and some of the over-the-top cheesy makeup and molds that were used to create the effect, like fu Manchu. 
The documentary was informational, but also insightful. It touched on a lot of different topics and heartfelt stories from a great cast of interviewees.

All American Girl

 

All American Girl is a TV sitcom about a Korean-American family. Margaret Cho stars as a sassy, provocative outgoing girl who clashes with her family's traditional values. I though the show was terribly cheesy, almost a poor-man's version of The Fresh Prince of Belair.  Cho's character clashed with he mother in the two episodes we watched, mostly about what boys she was dating.  Her mother wanted to tame her personality, and set her up with Korean boys with traditional Korean families. Cho was more interested in dating mechanics and guys in leather jackets. The jokes were really cheesy in this show, and there were a lot of stereotypes. Maybe it was the era this was made but it just wasn't my cup of tea. I though the character of her brother was kind of offensive, they seemed to emasculate him which was unnecessary.

The Joy Luck Club

Joy Luck Club is a movie I remember watching as a boy, so it was interesting to see (part of it) again in class. This is the story of 4 Chinese women and their daughters. We only watched a small part, about two of the mothers, and their inherently bad relationships with their daughters, whom they coincidentally came to America for to give better lives.

The first is Judy's mother, who had twins in China but was forced to leave them as infants. Judy's mother is now dead, and she believes her siblings wish to see her, although it is not true. Her mother's friend is tricking her into going to China, during a scene where the play mahjong. Her mother was very rough on her as a girl, pushing her to play piano, until she made mistakes during a recital. Her mother tried to force her to practice but to no avail.

The second part was about Judy's mother's friend and her daughter. They also have a troubled relationship. The mother was part of an arranged marriage as a young girl in China, but managed to sabotage it and leave for America. She was very proud of her daughter's exceptional chess playing skills as a girl and bragged about her. She was embarrassed though by her mother and quit. The next time she would play she'd lose and never play again. As an adult she seeks her mothers approval badly, while she dates an American man, she feels her mother disapproves.

 

The World of Suzie Wong

The World of Suzie Wong, a 1960's film that stars William Holden (Robert Lomax) and Nancy Kwan (Mee Ling).  The movie begins with Lomax on a ferry-boat in China where he meets the proper, stuck-up, rude, Mee Ling, who wrongly accuses him of stealing her purse, and gloats of her rich family and lifestyle.

Soon after, Lomax finds himself in a lower socio-economic area of China,specifically the Wan Chai District, where he unknowingly checks into a hotel which also doubles as a prostitution front and a bar for wayward American Navy-men.

Lomax is a former accountant who has decided to take a leave of absence in order to pursue his art (painting) and to try and make a career that he is more passionate about. Meanwhile, Mee Ling turns out to one of the prostitues who works in the hotel. After some cat and mouse play, Lomax hires her to paint pictures of her, rather than her usual business. Mee Ling pretends to her friends that he is madly in love with her and berrates her and beats her as a sign of his affection. It is extremely offensive. However Lomax doesn't do any of these things. He respects her, and falls in love with her. Lomax meets a banker and other Americans who discourage him from this relationship  but to no avail. Lomax saves Mee Ling during a mudslide, and finds that she has a son, whom dies in the slide.
We assume the two go on to live happily ever after though.

The Toll of the Sea

The Toll of the Sea is an American-made film from the early 1900's and stars Anna May Wong in one of her first leading roles. She plays the character Lotus Flower, a young Chinese girl who finds an American man, Allen Carver, floating unconsciously near a seashore. After saving him, the two come to fall in love as the film progresses.  Allen's buddies, however, discourage him(strongly) from taking her back to America with him.

Years later, Allen Carver returns back to China, but this time with his new wife, Beatrice. Lotus Flower convinces herself that she must give their son up to Beatrice and Allen, because he will have a better quality of life if raised in America, and so she does. Lotus Flower pays her toll to the sea, not only giving her son up, but also herself, going out into the sea and drowning herself.

Sayonara

Sayonara was one of my favorite films in class. Through research online I found that it came out in the late 1950's.  It stars Marlon Brando and Patricia Owens.

Brando plays  Lloyd Gruver, a U.S army major who is brought to Japan for work, but it is his soon-to-be father-in-law, and U.S Army General, who brought him to Japan to see his fiancé and finally get married.  Lloyd however, is hesitant, and not truly head-over-heals in love. When his military buddy Joe Kelly expresses his deep love for Katsumi, a Japanese woman he is intent on marrying, Gruver calls off his wedding. Lloyd finds himself falling in love with a Japanese actress Hana-Ogi, and has Kelly and Katsumi arrange meetings for them.

During this time, The military is seriously frowning on American/Japanese marriage and will not recognize them. As many military men are falling in love, the U.S Army has them stationed and pulled out of Japan away from their loved ones. After seeing a play together where lovers kill themselves. Kelly and Katsumi, who are soon to have a baby, decide to commit suicide rather than be taken apart.  This however only reinsures Gruver's love for Hana-Ogi, forcing him to search all over Japan for her after she leaves with the play/acting company.

 

Inspite of being a movie that breaks through interracial relationships, this movies depicts a lot of stereotypes, showing a Japanese star in Hana-Ogi completely subservient to Gruver throughout most of the film, in addition to many others.

The Lady from Chung King

The Lady from Chung King is a film that debuted in the early 1940's, starring famous actress Anna May Wong. In this film she plays Madam Kwan Mei, the leader of a band of rebels who reside in a rural section of China. 

In the film's setting, during this time, Japanese militia are currently occupying this area of China.  Kwan Mei poses as an aristocrat; a high member of society, in order to infiltrate the Japanese military. She attempts to gain the trust of Japanese General Kaimura so that she can learn exactly what it is he is plotting. Kwan Mei is also looking to rescue two American pilots whom she believes can help their cause against the occupying Japanese military.