CommentsXp Best movie ever!

SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Matylda Swan It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

mark.waltz This starts quite promising lee, with school teacher Anna May Wong all of a sudden interrupted in her class when the Japanese begin to bomb the area where she is. It gains emotional support when a child is gunned down, pretending to shoot at the planes but unaware that he is about to become a target. That disturbing opening is followed by nearly 40 minutes of practically nothing else going on as Wong become surrounded by American and English visitors who suspect each other as possibly being a spy, and not for the right side. There are some long moment of silence for pretty much nothing happens, and it becomes almost impossibly tedious. Of course this all explodes for an action packed finale where locals rush to Wong's aid as the identity of who the villain truly leads to a grizzly conclusion. After the previous year's The Lady from Chungking, I had hopes that this PRC drama would be as exciting as its predecessor. Unfortunately that was not to be the case. Wong is still lovely and there are some interesting moments of photography. But this is like many other World War II propaganda films made during the time in which it takes place. All flag waving on the outside, but inside truly nothing but a shell of a plot and very little to keep the momentum of the film going.

Alex da Silva Anna May Wong (Lin) is a schoolteacher assigned on a mission by the Chinese Resistance to discover who is tipping off the Japanese for bombing raids. Targets seem to be pinpointed with expert knowledge. On a bus journey, Wong and a cast of characters are held up at a monastery where it becomes obvious that the traitor is among them.This film has a couple of memorable sequences – the beginning section at the school and the end section at the head of the convoy – that make it a better film than I had expected. There is also some humour thrown in from the naughty schoolboy. My wife and I laughed out loud when he is left in the classroom alone to throw all the schoolwork everywhere. He also has a funny moment where he knows he is wrong and gets up and puts on the naughty hat without any prompting. Very funny.Unfortunately, the sound quality is poor and this does interfere with some of the dialogue but overall, given the different subject matter, it has to score for novelty value. It's a short film and it's OK entertainment while it lasts.

dbborroughs Teacher in a Chinese school goes on the road to uncover axis spies in China. Ending up in a monastery she and her fellow travelers witness the bombing of a convoy of trucks and it becomes clear that someone among them is a spy. Good wartime spy drama suffers from some padding in the driving scenes and an opening sequence of teacher Anna Mae Wong and her students that ends on a bathic note with an air raid with a conclusion that was probably over done when the film was made. Early flaws aside once the film gets on the road and gets to the monastery this is a good little thriller. To be certain its formulaic at times but there are a couple of twists ( for example how the spy gets the messages out for example and the fate of the foul villain) that make this worth your time (especially on a double bill with something else).

Snow Leopard A good, tense story and Anna May Wong's leading performance more than make up for this World War II feature's cheapish production and low-budget look. The story is interesting in itself, and it also serves the purpose of illuminating a vital but little-remembered aspect of the world war. Wong also gets support from some of the other cast members, although most of them are well below her stature as a performer.The setup has Wong as a schoolteacher who is helping to keep the Burma Road supply line open, despite enemy raids and other problems. The main part of the movie comes when she and a bus load of fellow passengers are stuck in a remote monastery along the supply line, as it becomes increasingly clear that one of their little group is a traitor who is tipping off the Japanese Air Force so that they can destroy the supply convoys.The story is told effectively, and even the low-budget look often actually aids in setting the atmosphere. The suspense is maintained rather well for an extended time, and the story keeps you guessing as long as possible as to just how things will turn out.The down side includes the dialogue, which is not nearly as good as the story, and some of the flat supporting performances. Dan Seymour is an exception, in a smaller role as the kind of lowlife that he always portrayed convincingly. As Sir Roger, Leslie Denison gives a rather plain performance for most of the movie, but he redeems himself with a fine wordless performance in the tense climactic scene. Nedrick Young has a couple of good moments as an American truck driver, and Connie Leon does a decent job of providing comic relief in her scene as a Burmese bureaucrat."Bombs Over Burma" and "Lady From Chungking" both starred Wong, and were both made by the same production company at about the same point in the war. Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses, but both benefit considerably from Wong's presence, and both were worthwhile in drawing attention to the often forgotten part of the war that was fought on mainland Asia.