The American missionary Megan Davis (Barbara Stanwyck) arrives in Shanghai during the Chinese Civil War to marry the missionary Dr. Robert Strife (Gavin Gordon). However, Robert postpones their wedding to rescue some orphans in an orphanage in Chapei section that is burning in the middle of a battlefield. While returning to Shanghai with the children, they are separated in the crowd, Megan faints but is saved by General Yen (Nils Ashter) and brought by train to his palace. Along the days, the General's mistress Mah-Li (Toshia Mori) becomes close to Megan and when she is accused of betrayal for giving classified information to the enemies, Megan asks for her life. The cruel General Yen falls in love for the naive and pure Megan and accepts her request to spare the life of Mah-Li against the will of his financial adviser Jones (Walter Connoly). Meanwhile Megan feels attracted by the powerful and gentle General Yen, but resists to his flirtation. When Mah-Li betrays General Yen and destroys his empire, Megan realizes that to be able to do good works, one has to have wisdom and decides to stay with him while the General drinks his bitter last tea.
"The Bitter Tea of General Yen" is an exotic romance about forbidden love. The movie technically is wonderful, with magnificent cinematography in black and white; a lovely twenty-five year-old Barbara Stanwyck; and great scenarios. However, the story is very racist in the present days, with the Westerns trying to change the millenarian Chinese culture and impose Christianism as if they were the owners of the truth. The situation of Megan, divided between her Christian principles and the attraction for a "barbarian of a sub-culture", is dated in the present days but absolutely acceptable in the 30's. Her sexual tension, expressed by her nightmare, is an impressive representation of her real feelings. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "O Último Chá do General Yen" ("The Last Tea of General Yen")
"The Bitter Tea of General Yen" is an exotic romance about forbidden love. The movie technically is wonderful, with magnificent cinematography in black and white; a lovely twenty-five year-old Barbara Stanwyck; and great scenarios. However, the story is very racist in the present days, with the Westerns trying to change the millenarian Chinese culture and impose Christianism as if they were the owners of the truth. The situation of Megan, divided between her Christian principles and the attraction for a "barbarian of a sub-culture", is dated in the present days but absolutely acceptable in the 30's. Her sexual tension, expressed by her nightmare, is an impressive representation of her real feelings. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "O Último Chá do General Yen" ("The Last Tea of General Yen")