Proposal for re-write of Shanghai Express

My proposed re-write is the real story of Hui Fei, a Chinese courtesan who stabbed her rapist to death in Shanghai Express - an American movie directed by Josef von Sternberg. The pre-Code picture stars Marlene Dietrich, Clive Brook, Anna May Wong, and Warner Oland. It was written by Jules Furthman, based on a story by Harry Hervey. The film was released on 2nd February 1932. It was awarded the Academy Award for Best Cinematography and was nominated for Best Director and Best Picture.

It is believed that the original story written by its American author contains Orientalist stereotypes of Asian women. In Western cultural products, such as movies, literature, paintings, etc, Asian women are often perceived and depicted as geisha girls, “Lotus Blossom Babies”, “China Dolls”, war brides, or prostitutes – servile, submissive, docile, obedient, reverential, exotic, sexually available, coquettish, mysterious, oppressed, helpless, in need of assistance or rescue, victim of sex trade, heart-of-gold, etc (Prasso, 2006). On the opposite side of the dichotomy, Asian women have also been portrayed in Western cultures as “Dragon Ladies” or Martial Arts Mistress – “steely and as cold as Cruella de Vil, lacking in the emotions or the neuroses of real women” (Prasso, 2006: xiii).

Hui Fei in Shanghai Express is evidence of the Orientalist representation of Asian women from Occidental perspective. She was depicted as exotic, self-abnegating, self-sacrificing, sexually vulnerable, inferior to her White acquaintances, victimized. Somehow, she managed to cold-bloodedly kill her rapist for revenge.

The Orientalist stereotypes were so prevalent in Western cultures that even Anna May Wong (who played the role of Hui Fei in Shanghai Express, and was the first Asian American international movie star) once complained that in the sixty films in which she appeared since 1919, she always had to play a slave, temptress, prostitute, or doomed lover, whose lines were in “Chinglish”, and who always had to die so that the blonde woman could get the white man (Prasso, 2006). Even decades after her death, Anna May Wong was remembered primarily for the stereotypical “Dragon Lady” and demure “Butterfly” roles that she was often given.

My re-write is intended to break the Orientalist stereotype of Asian women and present to readers the real story of Hui Fei – an American-born, well-educated, well-raised, modern young beauty. In disguise of a courtesan, she boarded the Shanghai Express to accomplish an important mission.

Set against the true historical backdrop of China, the re-write also attempts to portray Shanghai from the mid 1800s to the beginning of 1930s for readers who are not familiar with that part of the city’s history. Shanghai was a fascinating and highly internationalized city back then.

Out of personal interest, the re-write also tries to imitate the narrative style of my favourite modern Chinese writer Wang Anyi, whose novel “The Song of Everlasting Sorrow” (Chang Hen Ge, in Chinese) won the Mao Dun Literature Prize – the most honourable literature prize in China. Set in post-World War II Shanghai, “The Song of Everlasting Sorrow” follows the adventures of Wang Qiyao, a young Shanghainese girl from the 1940s all the way till her death in the 1980s. The 376-page novel did not contain a single line of dialogue, which intrigued me. Published in 1995, the work is already considered by many as a modern Chinese classic. The novel has been translated in English by Michael Berry and Susan Chan Egan. The English version was published in March 2008.


Plot of Shanghai Express (film)

In 1931, China is embroiled in a civil war. Friends of British Captain Donald 'Doc' Harvey (Clive Brook) envy him because the fabulously notorious Shanghai Lily is also a passenger on the express train from Peiping to Shanghai. When the name means nothing to him, they inform him that she is a "coaster" or "woman who lives by her wits along the China coast", in other words a courtesan.

On the journey, Harvey encounters his former lover, Magdalen (Marlene Dietrich). Five years earlier, she had played a trick on him to gauge his love for her, but it backfired and he left her. She frankly informs him that, in the interim, "It took more than one man to change my name to Shanghai Lily." As time goes on, she makes it clear that she still cares deeply for him. It soon becomes apparent that his feelings also have not changed.

Among the other passengers are fellow coaster Hui Fei (Anna May Wong), zealous missionary Mr. Carmichael (Lawrence Grant), inveterate gambler Sam Salt (Eugene Pallette), opium dealer Eric Baum (Gustav von Seyffertitz), boarding house keeper Mrs. Haggerty (Louise Closser Hale), French officer Major Lenard (Emile Chautard), and a mysterious Eurasian, Henry Chang (Warner Oland).

Government soldiers search the train and arrest an enemy agent. Immediately afterwards, Chang sends a coded telegram. Later, the train is taken over by a powerful rebel warlord, who turns out to be Chang. Chang questions the passengers, looking for someone important enough to exchange for his valued aide, the man who was taken earlier. He finds what he wants in Harvey, who is on his way to perform brain surgery on the Governor-General of Shanghai.

While waiting, Chang offers to take Shanghai Lily to his palace, but she claims she has reformed. Overhearing from the next room, Harvey breaks in and knocks Chang down. Because he needs Harvey alive, Chang swallows (but does not forget) the insult and leaves them alone. He then has Hui Fei forcibly brought to him to spend the night.

The government releases Chang's man, but Chang decides to blind Harvey for his insolence. Out of love, Lily offers herself in return for Harvey's safe release. Harvey remains unaware of the danger he is in and Lily's reason for going with Chang. Then, Chang is stabbed to death by Hui Fei. When she informs Harvey, he finds Lily. They board the train and depart before the body is discovered.

Carmichael, trusting his instincts, gets Lily to tell him the truth about her self-sacrifice. However, she insists that he not enlighten Harvey, because love must go hand in hand with faith. In the end, at the Shanghai train station, Harvey finally acknowledges his love for her.

(Adopted from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Express_(film))

Reference

Prasso, S. (2006) The Asian Mystique: Dragon Ladies, Geisha Girls, Our Fantasies of the Exotic Orient. Public Affairs: New York