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Storyline
A modern day Romeo & Juliet story is told in New York when an Italian boy and a Chinese girl become lovers, causing a tragic conflict between ethnic gangs. Written by
Keith Loh <loh@sfu.ca>
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Trivia
Out of all of the films he has directed,
Abel Ferrara has stated that "China Girl" is his favorite.
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Quotes
Gung Tu:
We must never allow ourselves to be divided by war... or to be interfered with by police investigations... all because a few reckless children cannot live within our tradition of our society. Our responsibility is to control our children.
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Crazy Credits
After the credits there is a line: Dedicated to the people of Chinatown and Little Italy.
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Connections
References
West Side Story (1961)
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Soundtracks
"La Donna Mobile"
From Verdi's 'Rigoletto'
Vocal performed by Rick Christman
Accompanist Maura Waldman
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William Shakespeare's eternal tale of young love gets yet another version in China Girl. Despite the racial tensions between the Chinese of Chinatown and the shrinking Italian population of Little Italy, Sari Chang and Richard Panebianco find each other and find love. Now if only those who might become their prospective in-laws will stop the hate.
China Girl was filmed completely on location in New York's neighborhoods of Little Italy and Chinatown. As the film says Little Italy where the fabled fictional Godfather had the Genco Olive Oil company is shrinking block by block as the Italians move out and a huge influx of Orientals move in and expand Chinatown. China Girl was done in 1987 so in twenty years the trend is exacerbated.
Players like James Russo, Russell Wong, and David Caruso have all gone on to bigger and better things, they're certainly more known than the leads are now. Still Panebianco and Chang are an attractive pair of kids.
The soundtrack is typical music from the Eighties in keeping with the times. Don't expect any songs for the ages like there were in West Side Story.
China Girl is a nice retelling of Romeo and Juliet a story that as long as there's life on planet Earth will never go out of style.