The Crimson Kimono
US, 1959, 82’, English
Directed by: Samuel Fuller
Screenplay: Samuel Fuller
Photography (b/w): Sam Leavitt
Producer: Samuel Fuller
Production Companies: Columbia Pictures, Globe Enterprises
Cast: Victoria Shaw, James Shigeta, Glenn Corbett
The Crimson Kimono starts with a bang. In a Little Tokyo night club in Los Angeles, an exotic dancer is shot backstage. As she flees through the busy night life, the camera follows only to witness her being shot once more – this time fatally. This “breaking the equilibrium” sort of sequence is characteristic of Fuller’s bold and explosive filmmaking, as Andrew Sarris put it “Fuller is an authentic American primitive whose works have to be seen to be understood.”
The story unfolds as a whodunit detective story, but soon shifts to the tense relationship between Caucasian cop, Charlie, his Japanese-American partner, Joe, and their artist lover, Chris, who painted a portrait of the victim.
This love triangle is complicated by the obvious racial politics in play; and even viewed now, the film feels ahead of its time. An interracial romance between an Asian man and a Caucasian woman was (and still is) rare in Hollywood. The relationship is more often presented as the opposite, that is a Caucasian man and an Asian woman which arguably was more welcome to mainstream audiences: see also Year of the Dragon, 1985, in this programme. But Fuller takes it a step further: while Kato in The Green Hornet is but a sidekick (much to Bruce Lee’s dismay), Joe is portrayed as Charlie’s equal, both professionally and romantically. Not just equal: in fact, Chris desires Joe over Charlie. As for the crime, it is Joe who catches and shoots the murderer – in the critical chase scene, the camera follows only him.
This isn’t simply a subjective wilfulness on Fuller’s part. He obviously recognises the complication and controversy of foregrounding an Asian character, as much as he is aware of the plight of Asians in general. When Joe confesses to Charlie about his love for Chris, he suggests that Charlie has every right to belt him. Charlie, who has been looking down hitherto, looks up indifferently and asks if Joe is going to marry Chris – as if this is inconceivable. A simple, natural reaction perhaps, but Joe is deeply (and rightfully) offended. Conscious or not, Charlie has played the “race card,” belittling his partner. Joe, in turn, mutters, “You wouldn’t have said it that way if I were white… Look at you, it is all over your face.” Fuller is among the very few American directors who is genuinely interested in exploring Asian ethnicity beyond the exotic within the American context. This is also seen in China Gate (1957), House of Bamboo (1955) and The Steel Helmet (1951).
When Joe recounts this experience to Chris, she disagrees, arguing that it is all in his head. Joe, trying to make her understand, can only respond, “You can’t feel for me unless you are me… for the first time I feel different.” A shock, a revelation, an understanding. Somewhat like a mirror, though reflected in the face of another; for the first time, Joe becomes aware of his identity as the “other.”
Fuller’s preference of casting obscure and unknown actors led to the casting of Japanese-American actor James Shigeta as Joe. This debut feature of Shigeta’s launched him on a career of similar roles in Hollywood, notably Bridge to the Sun (also in this programme) and Flower Drum Song. Shigeta brings incredible naturalness and dignity to the role and this image of a competent, strong and sensitive Asian male – everything that Fu Manchu is not, is exceptional in Western cinema.
The Crimson Kimono ultimately redeems Charlie’s complacency and Joe’s identity crisis, as the two make amends, but the reality – then, and now – may be harder to navigate. Fuller burdens his detective story with a critical undertone and mise-en-scene that is at once engrossing and magnificent.
Samuel Fuller
Samuel Fuller (1912-1997) was a writer, director and producer. Before becoming a film director, he was a reporter, and later joined the United States Army during the Second World War. Known for low-budget genre films, Fuller was in fact a visionary and a maverick director who influenced the French New Wave. Embodying the independent spirit, his films show a concern for the dispossessed and the marginalised. His Steel Helmet (1951) was the first American film to address the Korean War. Fuller’s most accomplished films included Shock Corridor (1963) and The Naked Kiss (1964), and his last film in America before moving to Europe, White Dog (1982), an unflinching indictment against racism.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY
1951 – The Steel Helmet
1953 – Pickup on South Street
1954 – Hell and High Water
1955 – House of Bamboo
1957 – China Gate
1957 – Forty Guns
1959 – The Crimson Kimono
1963 – Shock Corridor
1964 – The Naked Kiss
1980 – The Big Red One
1982 – White Dog
Kiki Fung