11 Dec The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932)

Scientific Rape

Many, many times a movie can be worthwhile when it does no more than create and display a strange world. Almost always that’s the case where the world is new and/or synthesised from previous abstract sources.

“Metropolis” of five years earlier is often celebrated as a film. Its only value is in the art design, but that’s miraculous in a way. Unfortunately the story is as thuggishly stupid as the notions it criticises. And that mars a movie for me.

This one is even more clever in the visual world it creates. And yes the story is dumb, and also racist. But it is not hypocritical: all the people involved are dishonourable, worthy of a Tod Browning script.

The visual notions are astonishingly varied. Nominally this is a mystical Chinese (Northern Chinese, more deeply mystical) environment added to a 30’s German-influenced visual depiction of science. There are lots of “electrical” visuals, zaps and blinkers. Abstractions of reality dominate: staircases that stand alone: monumental pedestals and other features in internal spaces; statues and icons that become characters from props.

The styles aren’t Chinese at all but borrowed from any place or era with an association with the mystical.

Deep, deep shadows. Many ceremonial movements in everyday tasks (as well as ceremonies). Vast ambitions, though this was commonplace by then. Direct precode references to sex and the implication that somehow rape on a national scale had something to do with mystical/ scientific power.

(Remember, this is BEFORE Hitler’s ascendancy.)

The story and most characters are irrelevant and that underscores the effect of the tone.

Watch Indiana Jones if you must, if you need movement. Watch this if you want to be saturated with cinematic colour.

Posted in 2005

Ted’s Evaluation — 4 of 3: Every cineliterate person should experience this.

IMDB