china

The film follows an American profiteer (Ladd) living in China by the name of “Mr. Jones” who sells
gasoline to the Japanese invaders, or anyone else who can afford it. He and his partner, Johnny
Sparrow (played by William Bendix), have a meeting in Japanese-held Shanghai with some
Japanese bigwigs that want Mr. Jones’ oil. Determined to make the meeting, Jones and Sparrow
hop in their truck and head for Shanghai by way of treacherous mountain roads smattered with
Japanese and Chinese forces at each others’ throats.

During a mishap one evening, Jones and Sparrow meet Carolyn Grant (played by Loretta Young),
a schoolteacher who is trying to get twenty Chinese girls to safety up in the mountains before the
Japanese army arrives. She “commandeers” Jones’ truck without his blessing and the journey
continues. At first, Jones is unwilling to cooperate, but after being witness to an unthinkable
atrocity by the army he once sold his wares to, Jones finds a cause worth fighting for agrees to
help Carolyn and the Chinese girls find safety…At all costs.

This film is interesting from today’s point of view. It is certainly a sign of its times, when the United
States needed a patriotic rousing in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, which is exactly what films like
China provided. Viewed in this context, the film is excellently constructed and expertly acted by the
three main players. However, the surrounding characters tend to act “over-the-top” at times,
which, if not successfully ignored, may impact the experience.

Alan Ladd and William Bendix are at the top of their form in this film, with Bendix emoting like a
freight train during some emotional moments with a small Chinese baby. Ladd dominates the film
throughout and defines the entire tone of the picture in two heart-stopping sequences that will
burn themselves into any viewer’s memory.

The passion of the cinematography is overwhelming. The opening shots of Sparrow trying to get
through the bombed out Chinese village are incredible feats of filmmaking. However, the passion
of the visuals in China also has an economy that is rare today. It never displays anything
extraneous or trivial. Each shot conveys an important detail that contributes to the story, keeping
the pace ever moving, never lagging.

China is an excellent film. Relatively unknown today, but highly recommended.