The Jade Pendant

Asian whitewashed history? Sign me up for more Chinese westerns with non-stereotypical characters. At the beginning in China I was concerned about the tropey Asian males (Joy Luck Club). Overall the film was so tame. Madam was too nice. Tzi Ma was not a real threat. White antagonists were lazily written---racism should be systemic. Mass lynching of...one guy and they let the rest go. At least I discovered Clara. Fav scene: white police chief saves the day. jk. Gao's declaration of love w/madam.

While I can appreciate a film tell about the lynching of Chinese immigrants during the gold rush era of the American west, I don't think it was a good idea to let the Chinese (or Hong Kong based creators) handle the story. Not because of the fear of them being biased, but because film making from that part of the world have the tendency to have more style than depth. And that's why The Jade Pendant (2017) becomes such a shallow experience. Definitely not catered to an audience of western origin.