The Curse of Quon Gwon is a silent film series that was produced in the early 1910s by Marion Wong, making her the first known Asian American woman filmmaker. The series consists of two films, The Curse of Quon Gwon: When the Far East Mingles with the West and The Curse of Quon Gwon: The Ancient Mayhem, both of which explore themes of cultural identity, tradition, and intercultural relationships. The story of the films revolves around a Chinese man named Quon Gwon who immigrates to the United States and falls in love with an American woman named Violet. The films depict the challenges and prejudices faced by Quon Gwon and Violet due to their interracial relationship. Quon Gwon is torn between his Chinese heritage and the cultural assimilation he experiences in America, while Violet is caught between her desire to be with Quon Gwon and the societal expectations placed upon her. One notable aspect of The Curse of Quon Gwon is its emphasis on authenticity and accurate portrayal of Chinese culture.
One notable aspect of The Curse of Quon Gwon is its emphasis on authenticity and accurate portrayal of Chinese culture. Marion Wong was dedicated to depicting Chinese traditions, customs, and clothing styles as accurately as possible in order to counteract the negative stereotypes prevalent in mainstream media at the time. The films also feature an all-Asian American cast, another groundbreaking aspect considering the lack of Asian American representation in American film during that era.
Century Film Project
Once upon a time, an enterprising Chinese-American businesswoman named Marion E. Wong set out to make a feature film, using friends and family members for her cast. After two advance screenings, the movie languished in her basement for fifty years before she gave it to a relative, and then it was another 39 years before it was restored and digitized in 2007. Now it is available, and serves as a document of a culture that was rarely captured on film at the time and even more rarely in charge of its own narrative when it was.
I cannot give a detailed summary of the movie, because some of it is lost, importantly including the Intertitles that would explain much of the relationships and action on the screen. The basic story is timeless enough, however, that we can follow it in broad outline: a young Chinese American girl (Violet Wong, real-life sister-in-law of the director) with Western ideas marries into a very traditional family and is driven out by her scornful in-laws. The movie opens as the groom gives a statue of a household god to his mother, who seems to lecture him about the old ways. We see a good deal of the build-up to the marriage, in which the girl and her betrothed have tea together in what will be her bedroom, and she pokes good-natured fun at some of the traditional accoutrements of the ceremony, including a pair of oddly-balanced slippers for the bride, and a dangly headpiece for the groom. We also see her efforts to get along with her future mother-in-law, who seems quite formal, but not unfriendly at this stage. There is a scene I couldn’t follow in which she speaks to her husband in an outdoor setting, and suddenly breaks down crying (I’m guessing that he’s telling her he must go away for a while, based on what happens next). Then we see what seems to be the tail end of the wedding ceremony, demonstrating that she has learned to walk in the awkward slippers.
In the next sequence, the husband is missing, but there is a new element: Now Marion Wong appears as the “villain,” evidently a sister-in-law or other relative living in the same house. She takes Violet’s baby away and the mother-in-;aw gestures for her to leave after a confrontation, offering her a knife to commit suicide. I think Violet is being accused of neglecting her baby, since what seems to be a doctor comes to look at the child in a later scene. Violet goes out into the rain and seems to be ready to slash her wrists, but suddenly throws down the knife and wanders out into the wilderness. There is an odd scene in which she cuddles a lamb, appearing no worse for the wear after sleeping outside in the rain. Then we return to the house, where the husband returns and learns what has happened. He cries for his loss and confronts Marion with her cruelty. Then Violet turns up at the door again, and her takes her in and comforts her. Marion, realizing that her plot has failed, plunges the dagger into her own heart. At the end, Violet produces the household god and pays homage to it, suggesting that all the turmoil was due to her disrespect at the beginning, and that the tragic events since then have helped her to accept traditional ways.
What’s that on your shoulder, son?
I wasn’t sure what to expect from an non-studio film from this period but I was pretty impressed, especially by the filming and editing techniques. Most beginning filmmakers, especially at this early time, don’t give themselves enough “coverage” to show a scene from multiple angles, get close-ups and establishing shots, etc., but Marion and her crew did quite well. It was, in fact, less “stagey” and static than a lot of professionally-made films at the time, and demonstrates a good grasp of so-called “film grammar” with a liberal amount of different angles and shots. Scenes sometimes end with an iris-in, especially for strong emotional moments. One particularly good shot shows Violet at her mirror, with her face perfectly framed by the mirror as she works on her complicated braids. That’s not to say there are no mistakes – one scene had a distracting reflection that kept hitting the leading man’s shoulder, and a couple of edits have a sort of “hiccup” effect where we see the last few frames before the cut were repeated. And, of course, some of the footage is less than perfectly intact, so it’s hard to know how good it was meant to be.
It’s a pity that audiences of 1916 missed out on this movie. I suspect that Ms. Wong discovered that distribution was more difficult and expensive an investment than she’d anticipated, and gave up when she realized she probably wouldn’t make her money back trying to do it independently. It remains however as a document of a truly under-represented segment of American culture from a time period that tends to look disturbingly white when only the most popular images are seen.
Alternate Title: The Curse of Quon Gwon: When the Far East Mingles with the West
Director: Marion E. Wong
Camera: Unknown
Starring: Marion E. Wong, Violet Wong, Harvey Soohoo.
Run Time: 35 Min (surviving print)
You can watch it for free: here (no music).
Director: Marion E. Wong
Unfortunately, The Curse of Quon Gwon was never completed due to financial constraints. Only around 40 minutes of footage from the first film and a few minutes from the second film survive today. Despite its incomplete state, The Curse of Quon Gwon remains an important piece of Asian American film history, as it laid the foundation for future Asian American filmmakers and challenged the racist and stereotypical portrayals of Asian characters in American cinema. In recent years, efforts have been made to restore and preserve the surviving footage of The Curse of Quon Gwon, with the aim of giving Marion Wong and her pioneering work the recognition they deserve. The films serve as a testament to the resilience and creative talent of Asian Americans in the face of adversity, and continue to inspire and pave the way for future generations of filmmakers..
Reviews for "The Legacy of Marion E. Wong: A Pioneer of Asian American Cinema"
1. John - 2 stars - I found "The Curse of Quon Gwon" to be incredibly slow and uninteresting. The story felt disjointed and confusing, with no clear plot or character development. The pacing was excruciatingly slow, making it difficult to stay engaged throughout the film. Additionally, the black and white cinematography added to the overall monotonous feel of the movie. Overall, I was disappointed by the lack of substance and entertainment value in "The Curse of Quon Gwon".
2. Sarah - 1 star - I couldn't stand "The Curse of Quon Gwon". The acting was wooden and unconvincing, making it difficult to connect with any of the characters. The dialogue was also dull and uninspiring, leaving me uninterested in the story. The lack of a coherent plot made the film feel like a series of disjointed scenes that never came together. Overall, I found "The Curse of Quon Gwon" to be a complete waste of time.
3. Mark - 2 stars - "The Curse of Quon Gwon" failed to capture my attention or leave any lasting impression. The slow pacing coupled with the lack of engaging characters and storyline made it difficult to stay invested in the film. The cinematography was grainy and the audio quality was poor, detracting from the overall viewing experience. I found myself losing interest halfway through and struggled to finish the movie. Overall, I was disappointed by the lackluster execution of "The Curse of Quon Gwon".