In the past few years, pioneering Chinese American actress Anna May Wong has been the subject of no less than three books, one play, various retrospectives and a successful restoration of one of her silent classics (Piccadilly).
So the time is definitely ripe for a documentary about one of the most influential Asian American figures in Hollywood history. In fact, at least two documentaries are being produced. But the first out of the gate is Elaine Mae Woo’s 10-years-in-the-making Anna May Wong: Frosted Yellow Willows.
Born in 1905 in Los Angeles’ Chinatown, Wong grew up in the shadow of the movies and at a young age decided that was the world she wanted to be a part of. She started as a teen in silent films such as The Thief of Bagdad and The Toll of the Sea, and most famously made the leap into the talkies, playing opposite Marlene Dietrich in the classic Shanghai Express.
Even as the most famous Asian American star of her time, Wong faced her share of obstacles, including losing the female lead in The Good Earth to Caucasian Luise Rainer (who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of a Chinese peasant woman in “yellow face”). Wong unfortunately passed away in 1961 before she could participate in the all-Asian musical Flower Drum Song.
All this is fascinating material, and Woo’s documentary includes rare footage and photographs that show just how charismatic and iconic Wong was. No Asian American actor since has matched her career longevity for good reason.
But Frosted Yellow Willows does little more than provide a superficial and sanitized overview of Wong’s life in chronological order. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that approach, but the film quickly grows monotonous. It’s simply one fact followed by another, without any context or deeper look at those facts.
The only time we see interviews with individuals who either knew Wong or were influenced by her is over the closing credits. Even that short glimpse of articulate people like film historians Kevin Brownlow and Leonard Maltin makes you wish these and other interviews had been used in the actual film itself.
The other problem is that the filmmaker has decided not to explore Wong’s personal life or delve into the controversial aspects of her history. Wong’s reputed love affairs, including a rumored liaison with Dietrich and a relationship with songwriter Eric Maschiwitz, who wrote the standard “These Foolish Things” for her, are not even mentioned. Nor are her battles with alcoholism, her depression stemming from her career frustrations, or any of the other things that would suggest a struggle with her very real demons, both internal and external.
I’m not suggesting a tabloid take a la TMZ, but to truly understand the life of such a remarkable figure, we must see it in its entirety — warts and all. That’s what makes her accomplishments all the more impressive. It’s amazing that she reached such heights at a time when opportunities for Asian Americans barely existed, but it must have come with a toll for someone of such intelligence and ambition.
Anna May Wong: Frosted Yellow Willows screens on March 16 (6 p.m.) and March 18 (9:15 p.m.) at the Sundance Cinema Kabuki.