Today I happened to catch most of an oldie on UBC. "The World of Suzie Wong".
If you have not see this old classic recently, you would do well to find a copy and watch it, maybe 3 or 10 times. Take casual notes on the scenes you find compelling, especially those about "how an Asian woman is expected to act".
Suzie Wong was the perfect package. Stunning might be an understatement. Suzie Wong personified the Asian woman stereotype perfectly. She was beautiful, subservient, agreeable, frugal, loyal and .. well, lets stop there for now.
If you don't know the story of The World of Suzie Wong, it goes something like this.
Tired of the rat race, Robert Lomax (William Holden) decides to try being an artist and decides that Hong Kong ius the right place to get his creative juices flowing. The room he picks to live and work in is in a hotel where prostitutes use the bar to meet their dates.
Does that place sound anything like the Thermae?
Lomax doesn't make dates with any of the prostitutes, which makes them curious. But he does decide that Suzie Wong (Nancy Kwan) would make a good model, so he hires her to sit for him
It goes on a bit with a respectable boy meets two girls, boy loses girl to a philandering Brit, then boy gets girl back to discover that she already has a child .. and, of course, they will live happily ever after.
Several scenes jumped out at me:Does that place sound anything like the Thermae?
Lomax doesn't make dates with any of the prostitutes, which makes them curious. But he does decide that Suzie Wong (Nancy Kwan) would make a good model, so he hires her to sit for him
It goes on a bit with a respectable boy meets two girls, boy loses girl to a philandering Brit, then boy gets girl back to discover that she already has a child .. and, of course, they will live happily ever after.
Agreeable Suzie - wants to be Lomax's permanent girlfriend, but he tells her he cannot afford her. [paraphrased] "Oh, you not have to pay me if I am your permanent girlfriend."
Reality - You will more than likely be "taking care" of your Suzie Wong, a significant portion of her family and possibly a boyfriend.
Frugal Suzie - tells Lomax, "Not eat here, too expensive. I take you to floating restaurant."
Reality - Your Suzie may not want to eat western food, but she will often invite any number of her friends to go along, then order the most expensive thing on the menu .. especially if it's seafood.
Loyal Suzie #1 - After a drunk sailor bloodies Suzie's lip, she gets an idea. Going to the bar where her friends work, she brags that her newly found permanent boyfriend is so jealous he beats her.
Reality - Hit your Suzie and expect to lose some part of your anatomy or get a visit from a 2 X 4 wielding Tuk-Tuk driver and a few of his friends.
Loyal Suzie #2 - When Lomax has finally run out of funds because he can't sell any of his paintings he decides to take a job, which means he must give up his painting. Suzie takes the money she has been saving for her child and offers it to Lomax, because she has faith in him and his future.
Reality - Um .. I'll let you use your imagination.
So you think I may have been a little unfair? Maybe. But don't come to Thailand convinced that you will find your Suzie Wong.
