Le monde de Suzie Wong

"The World of Suzie Wong" was the second film in which William Holden plays an American who travels to Hong Kong and falls in love with a local girl; the first was "Love is a Many Splendored Thing" from five years earlier. The differences between the two films perhaps illustrate the way in which society was gradually changing as the fifties gave way to the sixties. In the earlier films the two principal characters, Mark Elliot and Han Suyin, are both middle-class professionals in their thirties. A film telling the story of their romance would therefore have been entirely uncontroversial were it not for the fact that Suyin is of mixed race, something which in 1955 was enough to make the film seem daringly controversial. (To soften the blow somewhat the character was played by a white actress, Jennifer Jones).

Here Holden plays Robert Lomax, a middle-aged American architect who gives up his job and moves to Hong Kong in order to pursue his ambition to become a painter. (In Richard Mason's original novel, Lomax was British and considerably younger than the character portrayed here). His love interest is Mee Ling, alias Suzie Wong, a twenty-year-old prostitute from the notorious Wan Chai district. Unlike Han Suyin, Suzie is supposed to be of pure Chinese blood, although a mixed-race actress, Nancy Kwan, was cast in the role. The film deals with the problems posed to their relationship not only by differences in nationality but also by issues not explored in "Love is a Many Splendored Thing", namely differences in age, in social class and (most importantly) outlook.

This was Nancy Kwan's first film, and she makes a ravishingly beautiful and tender heroine. (She was only the second choice for the role, the first choice, France Nuyen, having been sacked, allegedly for putting on too much weight). Her inexperience as an actress does tend to show, but this did not prevent her from going on to become the second major Hollywood star of Chinese descent after Anna May Wong. Holden is better here than he was in "Love is a Many Splendored Thing", in which he made a rather uncharismatic hero.

The film was of course highly controversial in 1960, and remains so today, although for different reasons. We may no longer raise an eyebrow at films about prostitution or white-man-and-Asian-girl love stories, even if Hollywood prefers to steer clear of some other racial combinations, notably black-man-and-white-girl. "The World of Suzie Wong" has, however, been criticised for allegedly perpetuating the racist stereotype of the meek, submissive Oriental woman.

This is not, however, a criticism I would accept. To point out, as this film does, that some women in poor countries- and Hong Kong certainly counted as such in 1960- regard the idea of becoming the wife or mistress of a wealthy foreigner as the best way out of poverty is not a patronising racist stereotype but a regrettable statement of the economic facts of life. (For a time Suzie becomes the mistress of Ben Marlowe, a married British colonial official). Suzie does not act submissively because she is submissive by nature, but because she has been forced into prostitution by economic circumstances and because her clients expect submission from her. Much of the film's psychological drama arises from the efforts of the rather moralistic Lomax to realise this, and Suzie's efforts to realise that he is not just another Ben Marlowe, that he genuinely loves her and that she does not need to put on her submissive act with him. There have been "tart with a heart" films which have taken a much more patronising view of their heroines, but because these heroines have generally been white the films have not been criticised in the same way.

The film also gives us an interesting picture of Hong Kong at a key moment in its history. Before and immediately after the war it had been regarded as something of a backwater, and had the Nationalists won the Chinese Civil War it would doubtless have been returned to China much earlier. The Communist seizure of power, however, gave it a much greater strategic and economic importance to the West, and its population was boosted by the stream of refugees from Mao's regime, a stream which by 1960 had become a flood owing to political repression on the mainland and the famines which followed the so-called "Great Leap Forward". In the long run, of course, it was the entrepreneurial skills brought by these refugees which were to be responsible for Hong Kong's transformation into a dynamic, prosperous trading centre, but in the short run they added to the city's problems of poverty and overcrowding, shown in this film by the shanty-town in which Suzie is forced to live.

Much of the interest of "The World of Suzie Wong" is today historical, although it is still highly watchable as a moving love story between two people of very different backgrounds. It is more than a "tart with a heart" melodrama. It also has some pertinent points to make about colonialism and sexual exploitation. Although few colonies still remain, what it has to say on the latter subject is perhaps even more pertinent today than it was in the colonial era of fifty years ago. Then only a few colonial officials, businessmen and wealthy travellers could exploit women in this way; today the internet and cheap air travel have placed "sex tourism" and "mail-order brides" within the reach of many more. 7/10

Long before "Pretty Woman", "Maid in Manhattan" and "In the Mood For Love" were dreamed up, we have this beautiful film from the fifties which is the meatiest of them all.

True the film is a bit long, but this does not detract from the general impression it gives to the spectator.

The dialogues are sublime, the technicolor is wonderful and both protagonists are very beaufiful actors. I saw this on TV and would dearly love to have it on DVD ( chance would be a fine thing !!! ) to have a better sound quality for the dialogues.

For pure unadulterated romance and passion, this film is hard to beat. One gets the impression that it was rather ahead of its time when it came out.

Lastly, those frightening landslide sequences close to the end are really impressive, and the "baby's funeral" also leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

A truly magnificent film, seemingly little known today, and which would gain from being made better known to the general public .......

The setting is Hong Kong in the late fifties…

The film tells the story of a bittersweet love affair between an American architect who has decided to try painting and a wonderful Asian girl who uses with vigor and diligence her essentially dirty trade in a turmoil of mischievous fantasy…

Suzie Wong (Nancy Kwan), attracted to Robert Lomax (Holden), offers to be his "steady girlfriend," but a world-weary Lomax informs her that he has had enough of love and wants only to paint…

Paint he does, and the irresistible hooker, appointed as a model, appears in his work in a variety of poses… A compassionate Lomax suddenly realizes he loves her and takes her as his mistress…

There are comic moments in Richard Quine's movie concerning the lies Suzie relates to win the respect of her prostitute friends and her drunken admirer, Ben (Michael Wilding).

Nancy Kwan in her film's debut displays a large range of feelings, alternating hardness, affection, and affinity

Today there are many "chick flicks." The World of Suzie Wong is the quintessential "romance for guys."

There are two parallel themes in this film: 1) the "Pygmalion" theme, which was old when George Bernard Shaw's play first appeared in 1913. Pygmalion, in classical legend, was the king of Cyprus who fell in love with his own sculpture. Hence the theme of beginning with a raw material (in this case a woman of no great position or education) and to some degree transforming her into she whom you might adore.

Some may object to this theme carrying racist overtones, but in my view the reverse is true. The very fact that in this type of romantic union the protagonists are of unequal social position means that the man is attracted to the woman because of her human qualities, not because of any advantage she can provide to him in terms of social status or wealth. In fact, a man who loves such a woman is often looked down upon socially, which is present in this story. The object of Robert Lomax's love is Susie Wong for who she is as a woman and how she makes him feel, and he gladly, even cynically disregards the disparagements of those who do not approve.

2) Theme number two is the enchantment of the East. This is magic stuff for those so smitten, and once smitten, these is no cure. In this way, this wonderful story (novel and film) is understated. It is barely believable that Lomax's attraction to Suzie would start from nothing and grow so slowly to compelling strength. This mixture of desire and fascination is more likely to stormily seize a man's heart, but "Robert meets Suzie-falls crazy in love-marries Suzie" would make for a ten-minute film, and that just wouldn't do, would it?

It's also an interesting commentary on the film makers of the fifties that when they wanted to tell the story of interracial romance they had to attenuate the effect. Both Nancy Kwan and France Nguyen (in South Pacific) were of mixed parentage.

When a guy with Quixotic romantic notions (which Lomax clearly has, or he would not be in Hong Kong trying to paint professionally) beholds the lovlieness of a Nancy Kwan in those subtle, but oh, so sexy silk dresses (cheongsam in Cantonese, Qipao [shee pow] in Mandarin), he sees a vision of feminine loveliness he thought could only exist in the Platonic realm of the form. He sees perfection. He is enchanted. There is no cure save to have this woman for his own or death. This enchantment your humble correspondent knows first-hand, and therefore connects deeply with Robert and Suzie.

The World of Suzie Wong is so very romantic, and the themes explored here are enduring. I love the novel -- I love the film. I can't imagine anyone but William Holden playing Lomax. This role belongs to he.

Robert (William Holden) was a success in the business world but found it unfulfilling. Thus, he made what could be called a major life change! Moving to Hong Kong so he can devote himself to his real goal, making it as an oil painter, he can only afford to rent digs in a cheap hotel. All too soon he discovers that the native call girls of the city meet their American or European beaux in the same place! One absolutely lovely gal is Suzie Wong (Nancy Kwan) who catches Robert's eye and visa versa. But, since Robert is comparatively poor at the moment and Suzie must make ends meet for herself and her family, the situation becomes rather sticky. A romance between the two is out, so a friendship develops. However, the more time they spend with one another, the more their hearts become entwined. Soon, Robert doesn't want Suzie to see any other men but him yet, if she doesn't, she will fall on hard times. Even then, when Robert does take Suzie out to a restaurant, the native wait staff and other "high society" Caucasians make fun of the two together, for they know what her profession is. Will love still triumph? The powers that be in sixties television must have gotten this film cheaply, for it was on quite a bit of the time. As such, my sisters and I really adored the movie, having seen Kwan in Flower Drum Song and admiring her beauty. Because the call girl angle is truly subtle, it took awhile for us to really understand the big picture. We saw it more as a romance between two people from different worlds, which it also is. As the two principals, Holden and Kwan make for a great couple while the scenery, costumes, and photography from Hong Kong are also a treat. Meanwhile, the script displays a touching tale of socially forbidden love while the direction sensitively deals with a rather difficult subject. Therefore, if you see the late, late show is featuring this flick, don't miss out. Even 50 years later, it is still a romantic and entertaining view.