In this pre-code love story, we have the taboo attraction between a white woman and a Chinese man. Yet its most passionate sequence transpires in a dream, when the couple share a kiss.
Much of the romance in this movie is just hinted at and seems slightly out of reach, as Megan (Barbara Stanwyck), who is engaged to a missionary, wrestles with a passion for Gen. Yen (Nils Asther) that she doesn't want to admit to him or herself.
The headliners' performances are strong, and they play out against the backdrop of the Chinese Civil War, amidst fleeing throngs of refugees, firing squads, and deadly gunfire battles in the night.
The scenes between Ms. Stanwyck and Asther are rich with emotion, though few words are exchanged. When Yen does speak, his words are pointedly meaningful.
"Do you think that General Yen could accept anything that you could not freely give?" he asks, rejecting Megan's fear that he could take her by force. "You are afraid of death as you are of life!"
The final scene between Yen and Megan is stunning, as Megan adopts the mannerisms of a concubine and Yen briefly considers life without his fortune or followers. His suicide is surely one of the most elegant on film!
One shares Megan's bemusement in the movie's last few frames. One is left with the impression that the movie means a lot -- exactly what, however, is not clear at all!
Much of the romance in this movie is just hinted at and seems slightly out of reach, as Megan (Barbara Stanwyck), who is engaged to a missionary, wrestles with a passion for Gen. Yen (Nils Asther) that she doesn't want to admit to him or herself.
The headliners' performances are strong, and they play out against the backdrop of the Chinese Civil War, amidst fleeing throngs of refugees, firing squads, and deadly gunfire battles in the night.
The scenes between Ms. Stanwyck and Asther are rich with emotion, though few words are exchanged. When Yen does speak, his words are pointedly meaningful.
"Do you think that General Yen could accept anything that you could not freely give?" he asks, rejecting Megan's fear that he could take her by force. "You are afraid of death as you are of life!"
The final scene between Yen and Megan is stunning, as Megan adopts the mannerisms of a concubine and Yen briefly considers life without his fortune or followers. His suicide is surely one of the most elegant on film!
One shares Megan's bemusement in the movie's last few frames. One is left with the impression that the movie means a lot -- exactly what, however, is not clear at all!