O Último Chá do General Yen

Above average classic film about a group of Europeans who suffer mayhem and chaos through the China wars. Subtly radiant Megan Davis (Barbara Stanwyck of Ball of Fire), a young American, arrives in Shanghai during the threatening Chinese Civil War in order to marry a missionary, Robert Strike (Gavin Gordon). While escaping war-torn China, unexpectedly swept into the arms of an infamous warlord, she is separated from her fiancé and rescued by General Yen (Nils Ashter). Megan becomes both fascinated and repelled by the prospect of miscegenation, although his attempts to seduce her fail. Megan even remains with him while his enemies close in. At his palace, she defends Mah-Li (Toshia Mori) , Yen's mistress, who is suspected of giving secrets to the enemy. Idealistic Megan offers to answer for Mah-Li's actions if her life is spared. Yen knows that Mah-Li will not change, but, motivated by a calm, fatalistic philosophy, and by a growing love for Megan, he agrees. Their Forbidden Love Wrecked an Empire!. The flaming drama of a forbidden love that wrecked an empire!. She came to save souls and nearly lost her own!. A man of the East.... A woman of the Wests.....They dared not share their one desire. They found a love they dared not touch!

This erotic, passionate drama, pre-Hays Code -adapted from the book by Grace Zaring Stone- is by far his finest achievement. It's a decent film, although it can be a bit slow at times, despite its short duration, it only lasts 88 minutes, which is appreciated, because the events that occur are not too many. There is a peculiar circumstance that at the beginning of the film it bears a remarkable resemblance to the start of the movie¨Lost Horizon (1937)¨, in which the characters, while escaping, find themselves immersed in the hustle and bustle, crowds and violence of the Chinese rebellion.

Exotic and poetic, if melodramatic by today's standards. The interracial aspects were deemed very daring for their time. Where Capra's other movies are largely stolid, talky and prosaic, this is sensuous and profoundly cinematic, perhaps most notably in a sequence in which Stanwyck dreams of her seduction by a forceful Asther. There are good performances by the leading duo, the great Barbara Stanwyck and the unknown Nils Asther as the highly sophisticated chinese warlord, along with the classic american secondary actor Walter Connolly, Gavin Gordon and the chinese actress Toshia Mori as Mah-Li. Apart from these, there are no other actors in the film, so more action and more characters are missed.

This engrossing and moving film was competently and originally directed by Frank Capra. It is one of the most unclassifiable rarities of Capra's filmography, as well as one of Francis Ford Coppola's favorite films . The picture was a box office failure due to the scabrous representation of mixed race for the time, (in fact it was banned in the USA until 1967). Today, however, it is considered a hidden masterpiece, being one of the first American films in which an interracial love relationship is addressed. Frank Capra is deemed to be one of the best filmmakers in American cinema; always accompanied by his usual screenwriter and collaborator Robert Riskin, Frank directed seven Academy Award Best Picture nominees: Lady for a Day (1933), It Happened One Night (1934), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), Lost Horizon (1937) that won the Oscar for best production design and best editing, You Can't Take It with You (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and It's a Wonderful Life (1946). It Happened One Night and You Can't Take It with You both won Best Picture. Rating The Bitter Tea of General Yen(1932): 6.5/10. Better than average. An odd film, but oddly stirring. Especially recommended to classic film enthusiasts.

Following in the same path as Paramount classics, Shanghai Express and The General Died at Dawn, The Bitter Tea Of General Yen is a remarkable film about the chaos that was Kuomintang China. And it had a theme about interracial love that was years ahead of its time. Albeit though it was a love unresolved.

Barbara Stanwyck plays a missionary newly arrived from the USA with the hope of marrying missionary doctor Gavin Gordon. While trying to get some missionary orphans out of the way of war, she falls into the hands of Nils Asther playing the title role.

Unlike Warner Oland in Shanghai Express or Akim Tamiroff in The General Died At Dawn, Asther is an intelligent and articulate man who expresses the Chinese view of life better than was seen on film until Curt Jurgens in The Inn Of Sixth Happiness. He also dares to love the white missionary, but she's otherwise taken with Gavin Gordon. Nevertheless Barbara finds a lot that's intriguing about Asther.

There is a less than flattering view of the white people here, but not the usual criminal lowlifes who profit from war in China. It's the missionaries here with a sense of superior culture that comes in for criticism. Highly unusual and way ahead of its time for a movie theme. In fact Walter Connolly who works for Asther in procuring arms for his troops is a far better observer of the Oriental mind than any of the missionary people.

There is a subplot in The Bitter Tea Of General Yen very similar to The King And I. One of Asther's many concubines is Toshia Mori who really loves one of his officers, Richard Loo. Asther reacts the same way Yul Brynner did when Tuptim found him so non-appealing, a question of vanity and pride more than of the heart.

The interracial theme and the ideas way ahead of their time did not augur well for The Bitter Tea Of General Yen. I think it can be better appreciated by today's audience than the audience of 1933.

Obviously a pre-code film since the subject of attraction between a white woman and an Asian man would be a taboo one for many years once the production code went into effect just after this film was released. Capra creates a mood piece with some compelling and strange imagery helped greatly by the excellent performances of the stars. The film is driven by Barbara Stanwyck, Capra's favorite leading lady and here it is easy to see why, she always delivered intense real work. Nils Asther is all but forgotten today but he really registers with a multifaceted performance. Considering the times in which it was made there may be portrayals which jar a modern viewer but if you are willing to take that into account this is quite an unusual picture.

This film was made before Hollywood strengthened the censorship code. The sexual chemistry between Barbara Stanwyck and Nils Asther really amazed me! Director Frank Capra filled his story with strong overtones and suggestive dialogue. Very entertaining.

Unusual, strange, interesting, intriguing, offbeat, surreal, unique film… so atypical of Capra's acknowledged style, that one truly regrets that he never made a film of this sort afterwards in his career.

For sure, a product of the more permissive Pre-Code era (1930-1934), it couldn't have been filmed under the Production Code's strict rules; the only suggestion of miscegenation would have risen too many brows during its enforcement.

I must say, though, that I have the impression that I saw an edited or censored version of the official release, since the DVD I watched is of British origin (it's not yet available on DVD in the USA) and apparently the out-of-print VHS American edition, is 5 or 6 minutes longer. Well, it shouldn't surprise me since this film was banned in England for many years (reportedly for its miscegenation subject, a delicate matter for the British Empire in those years).

This fantastic tale of a Chinese Warlord's (Nils Asther) infatuation with an American Woman (Stanwyck), who's engaged to a missionary, is charged with sensuality, erotic imagery and sexual tension (by early 1930s standards) between the two leading players.

Asther gives an intense, credible portrayal and is simply mesmerizing as the Warlord, in spite of the fact that he was actually Swedish. Stanwyck is aptly helpless, confused and vulnerable as the heroine. It's also a pleasure to see Walter Connolly in a different role, as an amoral "entrepreneur". Toshia Mori is deliciously evil as Asther's double-crossing mistress.

This film demonstrates that the Occidentals, at least up to that time, still did not fully appreciate and understand Oriental Cultures, dismissing its people as cruel and savage.

Beautiful sets and décors.