Mr. Wu is easily one of Lon Chaney's weaker films but it contains one of the most inspired premises he was ever apart of. I was somewhat afraid of the film walking in thinking it would be socially backward and racist to Asians but I found that the film actually wasn't. It is a story about how the laws of each culture can come back and haunt people if they follow them to the keel. Wu means well but he knows the world is growing smaller and that the laid back culture of the east will effect how he can raise his daughter. Wu's daughter falls in love with a Westerner. Despite the social changes Wu expects his daughter Nang Ping to obey the laws of her fore fathers and she does despite tragic results. It is implied that Nang Ping is carrying the child of the Westerner Basil Gregory. Wu looks into his books and sees what must be done, he will have to kill his beloved daughter to save her soul. Wu is broken by the realization of what he has to do but the fact remains that he feels he must do it. Nang Ping accepts her punishment willingly and that is what makes Wu lose his honor and go mad. He decides to embrace the Western' culture of an "Eye for an Eye". Mrs Gregory shrugs off her son's playfulness and this is something Wu cannot accept. Either her son dies or her daughter is to be raped.
I actually found that I really liked this film despite the performance of Lon Chaney. He's not bad in the picture but he is not up to par of what we would expect. All in all I feel Mr. Wu is a better showcase of Chaney the make-up magician than Chaney the actor. The Make-Up is incredible for the picture, Grandfather Wu graces the screen for a mere five minutes but the make-up is breathtakingly real. I wish we saw more of this character because Chaney as Grandfather Wu is extraordinary. Every mannerism and motion is so life like. I can easily understand why the introduction at the beginning was included. Mr. Wu is something else, the make-up is okay but that is it. The design is the less inspired of Chaney's oriental make-up designs, he looks more like a caricature than a person. The make-up also severely limits his eyes which were one of Chaney's strongest points and it hinders his performance. Despite this however Chaney does still have a huge amount of presence as Wu and the scenes with his daughter before he murders her are very powerful.
What really amazes me is that Mr.Wu could have been interesting without Chaney. I like the premise of a culture shock a lot. The fact that we get Lon Chaney only adds icing to the cake. Wu isn't a great film but it is an entertaining one
I actually found that I really liked this film despite the performance of Lon Chaney. He's not bad in the picture but he is not up to par of what we would expect. All in all I feel Mr. Wu is a better showcase of Chaney the make-up magician than Chaney the actor. The Make-Up is incredible for the picture, Grandfather Wu graces the screen for a mere five minutes but the make-up is breathtakingly real. I wish we saw more of this character because Chaney as Grandfather Wu is extraordinary. Every mannerism and motion is so life like. I can easily understand why the introduction at the beginning was included. Mr. Wu is something else, the make-up is okay but that is it. The design is the less inspired of Chaney's oriental make-up designs, he looks more like a caricature than a person. The make-up also severely limits his eyes which were one of Chaney's strongest points and it hinders his performance. Despite this however Chaney does still have a huge amount of presence as Wu and the scenes with his daughter before he murders her are very powerful.
What really amazes me is that Mr.Wu could have been interesting without Chaney. I like the premise of a culture shock a lot. The fact that we get Lon Chaney only adds icing to the cake. Wu isn't a great film but it is an entertaining one