The Slanted Screen

Jeff Adachi's documentary The Slanted Screen examines the depiction of Asian and Asian-American men in Hollywood films from the silent era to the present. With very few exceptions (Sessue Hayakawa in the silent era, James Shigeta in the late 1950s, and Bruce Lee in the early 1970s), roles have been limited to foolish, epicene, or intellectually devious stereotypes (cross-racial performances by white men in yellowface didn't help, even when the character was supposedly positive, such as in the Charlie Chan mysteries). Interviewees include directors Eric Byler and Gene Cajayon and actors Jason Scott Lee, Dustin Nguyen, and the late Mako, who offer sincere and often sharp commentary about the search for gainful employment and positive roles within Hollywood. Unfortunately, the research here is disappointingly haphazard: groundbreaking achievements by the actors Sojin, Keye Luke, Sammee Tong, the Asian-Pacific stars of Hawaii Five-O, and Haing S. Ngor (the only Asian-American Oscar-winning actor) aren't mentioned, nor is cinematographer James Wong Howe. Jack Soo, George Takei, and Johnny Yune are seen in clips, but not identified by name, while Pat Morita is cited for his small role in Thoroughly Modern Millie but not for his better-known work in the TV series Happy Days or The Karate Kid movies. At just over an hour, The Slanted Screen just feels too compressed, and a late segment on the rise of Asian-American indie cinema seems little more than an afterthought. Not a necessary purchase. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)