AMWF in Movies
January 7, 2011 9 Comments
When I think about the media and how often you see AMWFs in any shape or form, I think it is still kind of rare but growing here in the US. I can although remember the first time I saw something like that. It was the original version of The King and I. It was about a widowed English teacher who tutors the Siamese (Thailand) king’s children. It probably was the first time I really saw the meeting of East and West, and some of the struggles that came with falling in love with someone from a different culture. As a kid I found this fascinating, two different people from two different cultures? How could they fall I love? As I watched this movie I realized that compromise was a big part of making things work. I mean… you can’t choose who you fall in love with, even if they are on the other side of the world in a foreign place.
When it comes to the movies, to be honest most AMWF productions have fell short of the awesomeness that was a classic like The King and I. I am not one for overly dramatic movies, or for the ones that end in heartache, death, or anything else as depressing as that. I like my movies to have happy endings, but most movies on the topic seem to turn out the other way. I feel like we need to see some more AMWF movies that are romantic comedies or action movies with a dash of love thrown in; the kind of movie that gives you that warm fuzzy feeling, and makes your cheer. Here are some AMWF (related) movies. I could be missing some, so please correct me if I am wrong.
The King and I (1956)
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958)
The Crimson Kimono (1959)
A Majority of One (1961)
‘Bridge to the Sun (1961)
Bombay Talkie (1969)
The Great Wall (1986)
The Lover (1992)
Pushing Hands (1992)
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993)
Too Tired To Die (1998)
Restless (1998)
The Replacement Killers (1998)
Kiss of the Dragon (2001)
The One (2001)
For All Eternity ( 2002)
Japanese Story (2003)
The Guru (2003)
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)
The Namesake (2007)
Shanghai Kiss (2007)
Never Forever (2007)
The Ramen Girl (2008)
Mao’s Last Dancer (2009)
The Warrior’s Way (2010)
The Spy Next Door (2010)
A P.S. on Anime:
The only Japanese anime that I know of with a true AMWF is Hanasakeru Seishōnen in which Kajika Burnsworth (USA) falls in love with Lee-Leng Fang (China) mixed in with an international plot. Another Japanese anime, it started with a kiss 2, (which was remade in Taiwan as a live action with Larisa Rui Sha and Jiro Wang) involves a supporting character form the story that is chased after by a white female. Her persistence pays off and He gives in and accepts her love.
AMWF Love 
Others you may want to include in this list is:
The Way of the Dragon (Return of the Dragon) 1972
Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus (2009)
Tommorrow When The War Began (2010)
Do the asians feel animosity toward the white folks in the Hongkong cinemas?
is that really the asian pride toward the whites or is it just a bad stereotype against the white folks? what is the psychological aspect here??
– The Boxer from Shantung Hongkong – Shaw Brothas 1972, where Gary Chen Kwan Tai had beaten up a russian white boxer in black and blue
– Shatter Hongkong – Shaw Brothas 1974, where Ti Lung had provoked Stuart Whitman into a duel
– Game of Death Hongkong 1972 – Golden Harvest, where Bruce brokes up the arm of that white villain at the Pagoda
– Fist of Fury Hongkong – Golden Harvest 1972, where Bruce defeated a russian boxer
– Knight Errants – Hongkong Golden Harvest 1973, where Jimmy Wang Yu provoked three white gangsters in the bar
– IP MAN 2, where Donnie Yen challenged a british boxer and punched him away
– The Man from hongkong, where Jimmy Wang Yu fought George Lazenby on the final duel and ate him like a snack
Thanks for this post. I can certainly relate to your need for more romantic comedies with Asian men and non-Asian women in relationships — movies like this are few and far between. And those that do get made usually don’t get as much attention as we might hope.
You might also find my post on interesting (though it obviously isn’t as inclusive as your list).
After 25 years I still get a surprising amount of comments and compliments from (mostly) Asian American guys for whom “A Great Wall” represents a significant coming of age marker in their Asian American awareness. I think this speaks to the limited presence of Asians and the systematic marginalization of Asians in western media. I have always tried in my small way bring alternative (to stereotypical) images of Asian men to the stage and screen throughout my career. It’s difficult. The interracial make out scene on the couch with the charming and talented Jeanette Pavini was filmed entirely without the aid of stunt doubles. — Kelvin Han Yee (Paul Fang in A Great Wall)
It would be great if Hollywood would redo those old films that had Caucasian men playing Asian male rolls and do them right this time.
Nice list. You have some I haven’t seen. Hopefully they have them on Amazon.
I thought of one I don’t see listed. Anna and the King with Jodie Foster and Jet Li.
Anna and the King is a remake of the King and I 🙂
Dear Brian and Laura,
Both of you are very good-looking and interesting as well. Your views on AMWF relationships are admirable.
I just feel that the term AMWF is going to be a trend of the future. I can foresee an increasing number of Caucasian females marrying Asian men specifically men of Korean, Chinese or Japanese descent. They are definitely; I admit, have striking features and will produce attractive offspring (an exotic blend of east and west) if they marry Caucasian females.
However, these are my concerns. This sounds like a race towards eugenics or in other words, the creation of a perfect human race. The AMWF relationship seems to be more focused on looks rather than real emotional relationships. It is overtly sexual and could be racist as the female tends to exclude other races in her choice of a partner. (Well, it is still an individual’s preference). Is this kind of relationship healthy or even long-lasting?
The term AMWF also tends to exclude Middle Eastern men and Indian men despite the fact that they are both Asians. (Well, it is my view that Indians pale in comparison to Chinese, Japanese and Koreans in terms of physical looks. But they do excel in areas other than looks alone.). However, I just feel that it is to the disadvantage of a female to limit her choice of a partner to a particular community.
Anyway, my best wishes to both of you and your desires in life. ‘Never Forever’ is my favourite film that explored AMWF relationships. It has a good story. Vera Farmiga falls for a Korean guy in the movie. She is a indeed a beautiful and talented actress. The Korean guy was amazing too.
Regards,
Sara
Thanks for commenting Sara!
I would imagine the world to become nearly extinct if only the extremely attractive individuals were exclusively able to be in relationships. To tell you the truth, I know of handful of Asian Males who have landed three times as many dates as I have, and they are just average in their appearance. Even they managed to embrace life and enjoy life’s daily humours.
Being very physically attractive as an Asian Male is a double-edged sword. You could say it’s kind of like a celebrity mentality. As much as you love your celebrity crush, to be in a real relationship with that person seems almost impossible. When I was younger (and less experienced and knowledgable as now), I would do my absolute best to look good. What actually resulted was that the women I dated became very discouraged and insecure from the appearance imbalance. Perhaps those relationships were not meant to be.
The first thing we notice when we see an AMWF pairing is the appearance. Unless they tell us, we will have absolutely no idea what kind of emotional or spiritual connection they have. Actually this goes for any relationship regardless of its pairing. Of course physical attraction is important, but not everything. If someone had untolerable hygiene, chances are we would not want to associate with that person. Therefore I tend to say physical appearance is our primary form of physical and social defense. Everyone may have different minimum threshold levels, but only until that requirement is met, can we move to the social and emotional needs.
Can AMWF Relationships Last? The answer is yes. Growing up, I had a few half-Asian friends whose parents were of an AMWF marriage. Their parents are still happily married today. When I examine the partnership dynamics (of AMWF baby boomers), I found the Asian Male very outgoing and pleasant to be around. They were definately not celebrity like in appearance, just normal, upbeat, and happy people.
I do not view AMWF as a fad, but an opportunity for complementation. Since this tends to be a relationships of people with two different backgrounds, Laura and I bring our insightful and introspective approaches hopefully the bridge the gap between Asian Males and White Females. While this does not have to be exclusive to AMWF Relationships, we write about what we know and believe in. As a result Laura uses her White Female viewpoint, and I bring my Asian Male perspective. 🙂
– Brian