China Gate [Blu-ray]

A Film urgently needing reissue on widescreen DVD.
I'm giving this VHS version 4 stars instead of the 5 it really deserves because the current cropped VHS version does a grave injustice to Samuel Fuller's visual style and his creative use of cinemascope. When the film was available on 16mm I used to run it in my Samuel Fuller class to show students the type of innovative work several films exhibited in the 1950s. As it stands at the moment, the VHS cropped, pan and scan version represents a travesty of an outstanding film.

As the other reviewer has noted, CHINA GATE is one of the first American films to deal with the Indo-China conflict that formed the prequel to the Vietnam War. But the casting of Angie Dickinson and Lee Van Cleef as Eurasians is not as bizarre as several reviewers noted. Lucky Legs (Dickinson) has been abandoned by Brock (Gene Barry) due to his racist reaction against his newborn son who looks Oriental. The film thus takes a more incisive look at American racism than does THE GREEN BERETS a decade later...

Needs to be in DVD format
This is a great film that has been lost to the masses for too long. Now, the only time the movie is shown is late at night. And, it is the chopped up, badly edited version.

It is amazing that so many films are not available on DVD. It took forever for the John Ford movies "Wagon Master" and "Sgt. Rutledge" to make it into DVD. Hopefull "China Gate" will soon join the ranks of lost films found again.

And on a musical note, one of the great singers of all times Nat King Cole not only has a supporting role, but also sings the theme song.

Great Classic Vietnam Movie!!
This is one of the first classic 50's movies concerning the relationships,war and turmoil in Vietnam also featuring the reknowned singer Nat King Cole.It's a must see!!

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