Bitter Tea of General Yen

Stanwyck was never so subtle as she is here--she plays Megan as moral, tender, and conflicted, but not in the least bit prissy (she is that rarest of creatures, a genuinely virtuous woman). As Asther manages to breathe real depth into what could have otherwise been a racial caricature: although the film still wince-inducingly reminds us, at times, that it is a product of its period in some ways (as in its depiction of the treacherous Mah-Li), nonetheless it confronts head-on the racist stereotypes of white colonialists in China. The final scene between the two leads is absolutely stunning--you won't be prepared for where the film takes the characters, and yet in a strange way it all makes a wondrous kind of dream-like sense. Do yourself a favor and watch this film--it's really one-of-a-kind.


A mysterious, hauntingly beautiful film ahead of its time   April 23, 2002
Simon Davis
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

This film will always mystify me as it doesn't seem to fit into any real period of Hollywood history. Barbara Stanwyck herself said in later years that the whole idea of the film was years ahead of its time upon release. This does go part of the way towards explaining why it was banned in England and Australia upon release and strongly criticised for its content. Time has luckily redeemed this wonderful production and today it is much more respected for its own merits.

I appreciate the film not only for the very very daring subject matter that it tackled for the time but also for the absolutely beautiful sets and costumnes . Indeed the whole production has a rich, other worldly quality to it that makes the film a memorable viewing experience.

The cast of this production is top notch. Barbara Stanwyck, always one of my favorite actresses has one of her very early memorable roles as the young missionary abducted by the mysterious and sensual General Yen, played by silent star Nils Asher. He is particularly effective in his role turning Yen from being just a one dimensional villian into someone who you almost start to feel for. Asher didn't seem to do too much work in the sound era but he is very effective in this characterisation.

Like the other reviewers I was stunned by the very original dream sequence which first reveals Stanwyck's secret passion for General Yen. Considered shocking in it's time today it simply strikes me as being very originally done and very different to anything that would appear in a film of that time.

"The Bitter Tea of General Yen" is a lyrical, hauntingly beautiful production that continues to intrigue me. I strongly recommend it as a great piece of early 30's film making done on a very adult and sensitive level


Capra's unforgettable masterpiece!   October 4, 2002
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

The Bitter Tea of General Yen is one of the greatest love stories to ever come out of Hollywood. Moody and mystical. Haunting and poetic. Sensitive and seductive. Unpredictable and utterly unforgettable. Nils Asther gives the performance of a lifetime as the arrogantly gorgeous and sophisticated General Yen. If only there were more men in the world like this. Sigh. Barbara Stanwyck as the lovely missionary Megan Davis never looked as innocently beautiful again as she does in this film. Capra fills the screen with lavish sets, dreamy lighting and rich romantic action. His very best film ever! My favorite movie of all time! Watch and be enchanted!


A very different Frank Capra film...   December 20, 2002
Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com (...in Middle America)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

Frank Capra's groundbreaking story of an interracial romance between a Catholic missionary in wartorn China (played by a gorgeous young Barbara Stanwyck) and a cruel, haughty Chinese warlord, played -- in the style of the time -- by a white guy. It's a very unusual film, and much different than most other Capra classics. To begin with, the story takes place outside of the director's usual Middle-America tromping grounds, and his dramatizations of the bloodshed and chaos taking place in Asia are pretty amazing... Hard-hitting stuff for a still-isolationist nation to sit through, but material Capra would sucessfully revisit in his WWII propaganda films. The main story, though, is about two people struggling to bridge a deep racial divide -- although the film is rife with sterotypes, Capra clearly meant to project a progressive image onto his characters. It may be a little difficult for modern audiences to passively sit through some of the dialogue, but the film's still a fascinating snapshot of its times, worth considering on a variety of levels. The cinematography and set design are also both quite stunning.


Lush, lush, lush!   May 13, 1999
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

This movie amazed me. First off, I am a big Stanwyck fan, but I was never prepared for this. A certain part shocked me. (Remember, this was the thirties.) Barbara is sitting on the balcony of Yen's palace. She falls asleep and begins to dream. She has this weird dream in which Yen comes after her, and another Yen saves her. Then he begins running his hands all over her chest. Strange, indeed. That isn't the only thing about the movie that I noticed, but it stood out. I gotta warn you, though. The ending is sad. It involves "The Bitter Tea of General Yen." By the way, Barbara cries beautifully.