| | A prim young Chinese woman on the Kowloon ferry accuses a middle-aged American of stealing her purse--thus begins a culture-clash romance. Seeking to escape his stifled life, Robert (William Holden, Stalag 17, Sunset Boulevard) has come to Hong Kong to become an artist. He rediscovers the girl from the ferry and learns she is not what she seemed; she's a prostitute named Suzie Wong (Nancy Kwan, Flower Drum Song). Though Robert resists her charms, she becomes his model, and their relationship grows surprisingly complex. While The World of Suzie Wong can be patronizing and has some dubious interpretations of Chinese manners and mores, it's also sophisticated (in a censored sort of way) about love, sex, and social pressure. A viewer may scoff at the child-like hookers, yet find the movie accumulates an unexpected emotional force, particularly through its exploration of how the characters maintain their illusions. --Bret Fetzer More... |
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