A Thousand Pieces of Gold is an English-language book based on the life of Polly Bemis, a 19th century Chinese immigrant woman in the American Old West. A film version stars Rosalind Chao, Chris Cooper, Dennis Dun and Michael Paul Chan, and was directed by Nancy Kelly. The movie was based on a biographical book written by Ruthanne Lum McCunn.
In a backdrop of adventure, romance and heroism, film explores the themes of slavery, racism, misogyny an...
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A Thousand Pieces of Gold is an English-language book based on the life of Polly Bemis, a 19th century Chinese immigrant woman in the American Old West. A film version stars Rosalind Chao, Chris Cooper, Dennis Dun and Michael Paul Chan, and was directed by Nancy Kelly. The movie was based on a biographical book written by Ruthanne Lum McCunn.
In a backdrop of adventure, romance and heroism, film explores the themes of slavery, racism, misogyny and harsh frontier life. It does not paint a flattering picture of the Chinese male characters, but shows the reality of the late 19th century, a time when Chinese immigrants were often treated no better than slaves, and Chinese women especially fared worse. Rosalind Chao's performance garnered high praise.
Lalu (Rosalind Chao) is a young Chinese woman who is sold by her impoverished family and transported against her will to the American Old West, shortly after the Civil War. Upon her arrival in California, she meets Jim (Dennis Dun), a Chinese...
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