Bonequinha Chinesa

"China Doll" is highly flawed Borzage romantic melodrama set in China in the 50s. It stars Victor Mature as an American pilot Cliff Brandon taking part in a war against the Japanese. He falls in love and marries a Chinese housekeeper Shu-Jen, played by Li Li Hua. The continuing exploration of love transcending everything - race, religion, war, death - is competently stated. The film is also very poignant in some passages, as is most of Borzage. However, if you look at it closely, it doesn't really jell.

The expert Borzage scholar John Belton, whom I owe a lot in my understanding of Borzage, ranks "China Doll" with the director's other melodramas - "7th Seventh", "A Farewell to Arms", "Man's Castle", "The Mortal Storm", "Three Comrades", "Till We Meet Again". Belton notes that all these works "contain hostile backgrounds which Borzage's fragile characters ultimately surpass."

But I find "China Doll" significantly problematic and less memorable than those films. I get the feeling that something is missing; much of it is characterized by an air of aimlessness or uncertainty. I didn't get that haunting spark that underlies the luminous lovers in much of Borzage's best work.

There is an apparent misalliance between Mature and Li Li Hua. I find Mature's character to be stiff, callow and frail. His careless demeanor does not contrast well with Hua's innocence or devotion. And ultimately (and regrettably) "China Doll" falls very short of greatness.

Right from the beginning, it was hard to get behind Mature as the leading man in this picture. His acting felt like it was mailed in. Even his drinking scenes could have been better if he had been drunk. But he wasn't and it was very pretentious. When he was flopping around in bed, it was as if he was trying to resemble a fresh caught cat fish. He was supposed to be drunk. It was too difficult to buy in to the storyline, even though the rest of the films actors and actresses were very good and credible. At one point, it was very difficult to figure out if Matures character was supposed to be comic relief or not. It could have almost worked if he had tried to play it that way. It was really my first time watching Mature in a serious lead. I read his bio and discovered if you believe what he says, that he just did his movies as a way to play golf. But if you do, then it makes sense, and even the fine performances put in by Ward Bond and others were sacrificed.

This film is reminiscent of The Good Earth in the sense that it sticks very close to actual Chinese mores and customs. Li Hua Li gives a sensitive performance as the romantic interest of Victor Mature. The movie is unexpectedly a two-hanky affair, and not just another GI Joe in Asia adventure.

The film highlights the Flying Tigers, a military unit that struck petrifying fear in the hearts of the Japanese occupation forces within China during WW 2. There is very little jingoism or gung-ho dialog, as normally associated with Hollywood productions. This is because this is not a Hollywood production, but a well-made independent film. Kudos to the producers of this film and the screenwriters who made this film unforgettable. Some might say it is a bit corny and sentimental, but those sentiments are quickly dashed after the film's plot begins to unravel. You can keep Gigi, the winner of the Best film of 1958. This film is much better.

This appears to be a pretty low-budget movie. As such, it is very poignant -- right up there with Borzage's best. The location and matter-of-fact story of miscegenation, which must have been quite shocking for its time, remind one of Samuel Fuller (generally a far more rough and gritty director than Borzage).

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** 'China Doll' marked Frank Borzage's return to film after being 'blacklisted' for ten years, and for a modestly-budgeted film, it is a nifty war romance.

Cliff Brandon (Victor Mature) is a war-weary veteran pilot, assigned to airlifting supplies and training aircrews, in WWII China. To co-pilot Phil Gates (Olympian Bob Mathias), and his new crew (including singer Johnny Desmond, and rising actors Stuart Whitman and Tige Andrews), he is an abrupt and by-the-book nag (he tells them, "It's my job to get your dogtags back to the States...hopefully, with you still in them!"), but his coldness comes from losing too many men.

One night, as Brandon is drunkenly stumbling home, an old Chinese gentleman begs him for money, mentioning a girl. The pilot assumes the man is pimping, and hands him a wad of bills. Unknown to Brandon, the man was actually 'selling' his daughter, and Brandon now had a 'bride'.

The girl, Shu-Jen (played by newcomer Li Li Hua), accepts her new role with resignation, but as Brandon sobers up, he is shocked by what he has done. He attempts to rid himself of his 'bride', but discovers he cannot, 'honourably'. For three months, the American will have to live with the Chinese girl, until the 'debt' is paid.

There is a lot of humour as the months pass, and the pair start realizing their feelings. Events take a melodramatic turn, however, when the pilot suffers from a relapse of malaria; Shu-Jen undresses him, then tries to provide warmth by covering him with her body. Delirious, and racked with fever, he is aroused, sexually, and he 'takes' her, resulting in her pregnancy!

What prevents this scene from becoming tawdry are the performances of the leads, the following day; Mature conveys such sincerity and awkwardness that you know that he respects the girl, and will not take the night's passion lightly. Li Li Hua, barely speaking English, is a wonder, conveying the nuances of the innocent girl's love by her eyes, her smile, and her posture. The pair have a chemistry that makes the scene, and the entire film work.

Without giving away the ending, let me say that a LOT happens after 'the night', and the film integrates the war quite effectively into the story, building to a climax and resolution that might surprise you!

This isn't a movie that appears on TV frequently, and is not available to buy, but if you get an opportunity to see it, check it out...This is a VERY good little film!