Good movie but grossly overrated

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

This Capra film is wonderfully deceptive; while it delivers all the sentimentality that one expects from this director, it also gives the viewer a whole new level of pragmatism that is not usually apparent in Capra's stories.A young woman arrives in China to marry her missionary boyfriend. However, before the wedding can take place, she finds herself instead the captive of a powerful warlord. What plays out then is a battle of two distinct world views, one based on modernism's reverence for the self-determining individual and one based on a traditional comprehension of hierarchical values, fate and the importance of continuity.To Capra's credit, neither side of this east/west debate is shown as possessing a monopoly on truth, but there is nonetheless at the bottom of this debate a clear criticism of colonialism and western imperialism that is rare for the period.The actors are very earnest - (Spoilers) Barbara Stanwyck convinces you first of her convictions and then of their collapse, but it is Nils Asther, Danish-born Swede playing General Yen, who is really exceptional. Walter Connolly is perfect,too, as the soulless American war profiteer who's yoked himself to General Yen's rising star.No, it wasn't filmed on location, no, it didn't bother itself too much with cultural authenticity and yes, the actors can be hammy at times, but, as happens so often to me with these older films, I am amazed at the commitment to real issues, albeit presented in the fully developed guise of an ill-fated love story.

There are some mild spoilers here. Read at your own risk!Anyone expecting to see something shocking from this pre-code film - The Bitter Tea of General Yen - is going to be disappointed. Miscegenation is not an issue today so most people will miss out on the big scandal! However it was a big thing back in the 30s and after the code came into full force a romantic relationship between an American and a Chinese man was unthinkable in a Hollywood film. This film is rather a mixed bag when it comes to racism. It starts out rather judgmental about the Chinese people but slowly our heroine starts to realize that there is more than one kind of logic. One of the best examples is when general Yen kills the prisoners because he has no food to feed them. Surely it is better to kill them than let them starve? And later Yen says something to Megan the audience is most likely to agree with: "You are afraid of death as you're afraid of life!" We know he is right and by that time we want Megan to understand that she might have been wrong all the time. We've fallen for Yen, as hard as Megan has. That is the genius of Frank Capra and the writers of this film. They make us fall for a man who is a mass murderer and a kidnapper. Megan and the viewers are all suffering from a Stockholm syndrome..., or did we just let our guard - and our prejudice down? If the latter is what happened to you while watching this film then you know why this is a great and one of Capra's best. I wonder why it is not better know...

This was clearly a rather high budget film for 1933, and interestingly was the first film shown at the new Radio City Music Hall. Directed by Frank Capra, it is a pre-code film, so there are some risqué scenes...well done. Its main distinction, however, is that it was one of the first movies to deal with interracial sexual attraction. Unfortunately, it was before its time...it was a box office failure, although in recent years it has been uniformly praised.Barbara Stanwyck and Gavin Gordon (a missionary) are preparing to marry in China. But, the Chinese Civil War intervenes when they rush off, just before their wedding, to rescue some orphans. They become separated (great crowd scenes) and Stanwyck is rescued...or is it kidnapped...by warlord General Yen (Nils Asther, a European actor). Stanwyck awakens to find herself in Yen's sumptuous summer palace. She witnesses a mass execution ordered by Yen, writes letters to her fiancé that are never delivered, and because she is thought to be dead, he holds her against her will...well, sort of, because she has erotic dreams about General Yen (wonderfully creative fantasy sequence). Stanwyck meets Yen's financial adviser -- American Walter Connolly. It turns out, however, that the general's concubine is actually a spy, and she is sentenced to death. Stanwyck pleads for her life, and Yen agrees to spare her in order to keep Stanwyck. The general's army deserts him, but Stanwyck goes to him willingly as Yen prepares to drink poisoned tea (hence the title). And, what happens??? You'll have to watch the film to find out. It's simply too stunning to tell you.There are 3 primary actors of interest here. The primary star is Barbara Stanwyck, who is superb. I've recently watched several of her early films, and I have been very impressed. Although I had heard the name, I was not familiar with Nils Asther, and after watching him here, where he successfully plays an Asian man, I hope to see more of his work. Walter Connolly -- Yen's Western adviser -- usually plays comedies, but this is a serious role for him, and he plays it very well.Highly recommended, and you may even want it on your DVD shelf.

Barbara Stanwyck (as Megan Davis) arrives in Shanghai, to marry missionary Gavin Gordon (as Bob Strike). Instead, she falls in love with a sexy Chinese warlord, Nils Asther (as General Yen), who is winds up holding her prisoner. Frank Capra's "The Bitter Tea of General Yen" isn't as offensive as it appears, on the surface; although, the story is, ultimately, unsatisfactory.Still, it's a fine looking production, with beautiful direction and photography (Joseph Walker). Ms. Stanwyck and Mr. Asther perform their sexual attraction marvelously; their characterizations are worthy of "Best Actress" and "Best Actor" consideration. And, supporting actress Toshia Mori (as Mah-Li) makes it a passionate threesome - when the three of them share a scene, on Asther's train, every movement sizzles.******* The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1/6/33) Frank Capra ~ Barbara Stanwyck, Nils Asther, Walter Connolly, Toshia Mori