The movie takes place in shady, but lavishing casino in Shanghai - the city where all sorts of people with usually shady past are together. The visual style of the movie is wonderful - one of the most grand casinos ever shown on the silver screen. The story is interesting and thrilling, although heavy handed and overly melodramatic, but it isn't distracting. It rather adds more othreworldly feel to already fairy tale like casino atmosphere with quirky characters. The film is outdated by the sense that Chinese people are played by the caucasians, but I still can't see anyone else playing Mother Gin Sling than magnificent Ona Munson. Gene Tierney is always eyecandy as lady in trouble. And Victor Mature - an actor who is always interesting to watch being disinterested and bored.
Far from being von Sternberg's best, but it is a wonderful film noir exercise, and as it is little different than other well known film noir's 'The Shanghai Gesture' is highly reccomended to the aficionados of the genre.
Far from being von Sternberg's best, but it is a wonderful film noir exercise, and as it is little different than other well known film noir's 'The Shanghai Gesture' is highly reccomended to the aficionados of the genre.