★ 6 / 10
Alan Ladd is "Jones", a rather cynical American
CinemaSerf
Alan Ladd is "Jones", a rather cynical American in China working in the oil industry. He doesn't really care who he sells to - and given the population as been…
Alan Ladd is "Jones", a rather cynical American in China working in the oil industry. He doesn't really care who he sells to - and given the population as been under the heel of the invading Japanese forces for many years, that doesn't make him many friends amongst the locals. On his travels, though, he encounters the equally headstrong "Carolyn" (Loretta Young) who is generally appalled by the treatment of the local population. At loggerheads most of the time, it is only when he witnesses the true extent of the brutality of the occupying forces that he decides that maybe he ought to help. There is a degree of chemistry between the usually rather wooden Ladd and the normally more engaging Young, but given much of this is set in the cab of a truck, the production is pretty static and the narrative is very wordy. There is some action, but it has a distinct wartime propagandist style to it which undoubtedly fulfilled a function in 1943, but has dated rather badly now. It's watchable enough, and William Bendix adds a little to divert from the intensity of the simmering rapport between the two stars, but the whole film is pretty unremarkable fayre that you'll soon forget.
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★ 7 / 10
A gem of a film
jakob13
Dusted off from long time in the vault, John Farrell's 'China' surprises. Allan Ladd plays a cynical, war profiteer, a part well chosen for him. He sells to…
Dusted off from long time in the vault, John Farrell's 'China' surprises. Allan Ladd plays a cynical, war profiteer, a part well chosen for him. He sells to the highest bidder: the Imperial Japanese waging war against the Nationalist troops, short of money, but not in men. And then there's doe eyed Loretta Young, born and bred in China and with missionary fervor remains in China to aid and assist her students, refugees. William Bendix as Ladd's side kick has a tender heart and is a sucker for an abandoned baby.
But the surprise are the Asian actors...Korean Philip Ahn, Chinese Richard Loo and Victor Sen Yung and Marion Quon, among others, who usually plays small parts in Chan Chin films.
Here, in 'China', at war, they have strong roles who force at the end of a barrel of a gun, to do as they want in their fight against the invading Japanese. They are forceful, intelligent and well able to fight with the Americans playing as it turns out to be in the background.
Amazing? In a way, our allies in the fight against Japanese militarism, but in the US declared by act of Congress as a 'cursed minority', restricted in immigration, forced to live in ghettos quaintly known as 'China towns',centers of opium dens, intrigue and possibly engaged in white slavery.
All the prejudice aside, 'China' is an exception. The Chinese characters speak good, standard ordinary English and are robust in character and know what they want to free China from Japanese aggression.
Of course, Ladd has a change in heart, helps the Chinese to entrap Japanese troops. And in that he's ennobled by his sacrifice for all that's good and pure in America; he finds love in Young, and Bendix remains true to his heart.
It's a pity, it is not shown on the television or in cinema clubs.
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Seeing that "MartinHafer" comment from IMDB, I have to say that the Japanese were monsters. They were more evil than most can imagine. They were so evil that interning American Japanese was justified.