Anna May Wong
Wong was born in Los Angeles, California, in one of the many Chinese communities that had thrived everywhere in the world. Growing up her interest and talent in acting were evident which is why she entered the world of movies. However, the beginning of her career as an actress was rather caged in the stereotypical and supporting roles. She was rather a boring and predictable actress whose appearance in the films she make does not excite the senses. Her roles and movies were too traditional that even before the public watches they already know what the ending will be like.
Wong herself was aware that majority of the roles she gets and will get will always be supporting or stereotypical. In my own observation, Wong is given roles like she had received because of her Chinese heritage. She is dominantly Chinese in terms of her features yellow skin, chinky eyes, small lips and slim body built. It is difficult to advance in a foreign country especially in an industry where people have yet to open their eyes to the vast plurality of cultures that exist (during that time). Lead actors and actresses have to be Americans, the story should always revolve around them and they should be good looking, adhering to the standards of the traditional American concept of beauty. Shall there be an opportunity for foreigners (or to be more specific, Chinese in which case I would specifically refer to Anna May Wong) the role that will be given to her is supporting, a role that affirms the beauty and kindness of the lead actress and if there is anyone who needs to die or commit a crime to evoke more drama then the supporting actress must take that. One clear example is in Shanghai Express where Anna May Wong played the role of Hue Fei, a fellow courtesan. Note that in most reviews she is described as the fellow courtesan, not courtesan meaning that there is another courtesan who has more value and importance in the film, in such case it was Shanghai Lily played by Marlene Dietrich. She also stabbed Chang so that the lovers, Harvey and Shanghai Lily (also regarded Magdalen) can live happily ever after.
In other cases when supporting roles were not offered to Anna May Wong, she is usually offered roles that are of Chinese history, culture, story or anything Chinese. With her features and her talent she is the premiere choice of film producers for movies like A Trip to Chinatown and the Toll of the Sea. Her roles were very limited, as if she cannot film or act in a movie where the theme and plot is different. The challenges faced by Anna May Wong were racial related it cannot be denied that film makers and producers favor actors and actresses who are Americans instead of Asians regardless of the talent and skill to perform. In which case, Anna May Wong fled to Europe to discover further developments for herself in acting and the film industry. She was well aware that the United States is not yet ready to open larger opportunities for actresses like her. Producers and film makers are yet to have the creativity and courage to venture in films that are rather revolutionary and nontraditional in nature. So, Anna May Wong fled to Europe and it was through that big and brave decision that she was able to truly be an actress.
One of her most acclaimed and well known films is Daughter of Shanghai. Daughter of Shanghai was shown in 1937. I have both positive and negative commentaries about Daughter of Shanghai. It was a milestone in the life and career of Anna May Wong to get a movie like this because she is starred as a lead actress and in a rather different film. Although the film was filmed with very little budget, it managed to create an effect among the viewers because of its difference with respect to other films that were shown before. Finally, there is a movie where a heroine is not American, or at least on a more general note, an actress who was chosen to play the role of a heroine and was chosen without looking at her race only at her talent and ability to act.
Majority of people would say that the Daughter of Shanghai is the story of Anna May Wong herself. Lan Ying Lin, the character played by Anna May Wong and herself had various similarities. Probably one is their courage to take risks Lan Ying Lin set out to South America to find out who the villain of the story is. The Latin continent is something very unusual to her, she is not familiar with the people, the place itself, the lifestyle and she cannot even communicate with them in a language where both parties will be able to fully understand each other. But she was determined to pursue a mission that showcased her courage, her determination to achieve something no matter how different or how many obstacles there may be in the way. That same courage and that same determination Lan Ying Lin and Anna May Wong share with each other, Anna May Wong is a ChineseAmerican who is often judged by her race regardless of the obstructions that she had come across with and the many opportunities she missed because of racial discrimination, she continue to fight for her career and her craft as a human being and as an artist. That is the greatest and most significant similarity between the two that they have a dream and they are determined to do whatever it takes to make that dream materialize. Probably the reason why Anna May Wong regards this movie as her story is because of the fact that she had undergone and experienced the same difficulties as Lan Ying Lin, maybe not exactly but there are some symbolisms which I think are good points of contention.
First is the setting out of Lan Ying Lin to South America to find out who the villain is. In real life, this can be tantamount to Anna May Wong flying to Europe in search of better opportunities in her life and for her career. Both women were clueless of what awaits them, but they set aside their fears and took the risk. Another is when Lan Ying Lin was dressed as a male but was soon discovered to be a female and was stranded with sexually deprived men. In my own view, this is a representation of the difficulties that Anna May Wong had to go through as an actress. She had to wear different masks she had to be the person that the situation needs her to be. She always had to wear a smile in her face, especially when facing directors and movie makers. And in occasions when she would audition for a role that she would not get, she still has to wear that smile. To pretend that everything is okay and there are other opportunities that she would like to look forward to. The pack of sexually deprived men for me represent the passion of Anna May Wong to live, her gender is never an excuse for her to settle for anything, second it is not the people around her that determine her future but herself alone. (Note I am referring to personal interpretations, this citation is greatly limited to the event were she was trapped with men, not yet talking about when she was rescued.
But the critique I have about this movie is that it is not entirely revolutionary and liberating in nature. There were still some cultural and traditional beliefs that Western film makers are not yet ready to let go of. One example of which is that Lan Ying Lin had to be rescued by a man. Unlike in the film Shanghai Express, Anna May Wong had a supporting role. A fellow courtesan to the lead actress Shanghai Lily, this time her role is a definitive character. The center of the story is her, which is why despite the low budget and difficulties she had gone through in making the movie, she still regards it as one of her best roles and best films ever created. Shanghai Express is her movie and even more, a movie which was made to match and fit her personality. In relation to the film Daughter of the Dragon, this film is different because she was highlighted more as a heroic daughter instead of a daughter who is closely and largely dependent on the father. Shanghai Express also speaks of independence, aside from all the many varied themes that it has.
The next movie I would like to explore is Lady from Chungking. This film was shown in 1942 and was one of the best in Anna May Wongs career. Personally, I view this film as the most significant film not only in Anna May Wongs career but most importantly in the recognition of the strength of women and Chinese people as a whole. She played the role of an aristocratic Chinese woman who led a group of Chinese fighters against Japanese invaders. The catch about his film and the reason why it is very significant is because it highlights the capacity of women to lead, to fight and be victorious. Feminism has major impacts in the Chinese world and in the entertainment industry.
Let me mention though the first impact of this film on Feminism. We all know that China is a very conservative country. Not only its tradition but its way of life, history and literature tell us of how the Chinese world treats women. And for an army of Chinese fighters to be lead by a woman is something that holds great significance in itself. This means that they would like to showcase the capacity of women to participate in affairs that are of great contribution to the whole society. Somewhat, this film dissolves or suggests to dissolve the margin that hampers the growth of women in the society. The impact it has created to the Chinese world as a whole is also similar to the effects it gave on Feminism. The traditional Chinese understanding that women are for the private sphere (meaning the home) and have no valid contributions for the public sphere (the society) except for child birth is slowly but crisply being questioned. The movie presents a very strong wall of argumentation as to what women can do for their country and countrymen. With respect to the film industry, it is very interesting to note that in this film Chinese people are not represented as a miserable nation waiting to be rescued by Americans. It clearly showed that Chinese are responsible for themselves. Historically, that is very important for them because they are finally recognized. Their strength as a nation and their ability to fight for their motherland is acknowledged. To compare it with the two other films Shanghai Express and Daughter of the Dragon, I would say that this one has more depth in it. It does not speak of lovers who are about to be re-united or smugglers being chased a greater cause is being exposed that is to show the emerging role of women in the society and the magnanimity of other countries aside from the United States. It recognizes the bright and victorious Asian heritages that exist but are seldom granted recognition.
The last movie is King of Chinatown shown in 1939. This rekindles the attitude of Chinese people to be little emperors. They are very fond of being little emperors or bosses who are regarded as kings of a certain area. Even in the United States, little emperors are on the rise. And this is the story of Dr. Mary Ling, a doctor who with her father Dr. Chang Ling was like little policemen who were after the villains. The film does not stir much effect on me, except that it is very surprising to find Anna May Wong in a 1939 film as the lead actress and not playing the role of a Chinese princess waiting to be rescued. I find it very similar with Daughter of the Dragon because of the fact that it is a story that revolves with a father-daughter theme. I think part of the reason of this is because patriarchy is rampant everywhere and therefore if she is not a princess waiting to be rescued, a father figure needs to be in the picture to create balance as women may be too empowered thus creating a stir in the male-dominated society.
All in all, Anna May Wong was successful in redefining and changing the stereotypes. I would say that her roles were very brave, considering that they were all filmed in the 1930s. I cannot fully appreciate the courageousness of putting an Asian female in a movie as lead actress with a rather new plot because I did not live in her time, nonetheless I still would like to believe that Anna May Wong did more than changing the stereotypes of her own roles, she greatly contributed in opening the eyes of people especially movie makers and movie goers. She opened up various doors for future generations of Asian actresses and more than that she has begun to show what women can do for the society, whether in film or in real life.
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