Wild Rose (1932) Review - She Stomps Through Shanghai

If you want to see what Shanghai looked like before it became a forest of neon lights, you should probably check out Wild Rose.

It is definitely worth a watch if you like seeing someone refuse to act like a proper lady.

But if you hate old movies that get a bit preachy about poor people versus rich people, you might find it annoying.

The movie stars Wang Renmei as Xiao Feng, and she is basically a ball of energy that the screen can barely hold.

They call her 'Wild Rose' because she’s messy, loud, and doesn't care about rules.

She starts off in the country, just being herself and climbing things.

Then she meets Jiang, this artist guy who seems a bit too soft for her, honestly.

Her dad disappears, which is a big deal, but the movie almost treats it like an excuse to get her moving.

She heads to Shanghai with Jiang, and that is where things get actually interesting.

The way the camera shows the city is weirdly scary.

It’s all tall buildings and people looking down their noses at anyone who looks like they stepped out of a farm.

Xiao Feng doesn't just walk into a room; she stomps.

I noticed her hair is always a bit of a disaster, which I loved because it felt real.

Most actresses back then looked like they were made of porcelain, but she looks like she just finished a marathon.

There is this one scene where she is looking at the city skyline and you can just feel her shrinking.

It’s not because she is scared, but because she realizes she’s just a small bug in a very big, cold machine.

The artist friend, Jiang, is okay, but he’s kind of a wet blanket.

He wants to paint things and be sensitive while Xiao Feng is out there actually dealing with the dirt.

The movie has these moments where it stops being a story and starts being a message.

It really wants you to know that the city is a trap for the poor.

Sometimes the actors stare at the camera a little too long to make sure you get the point.

It reminds me a bit of Hearts United in how it tries to pull at your heartstrings with the whole 'we are all in this together' vibe.

But Wild Rose feels more personal because of how much space Xiao Feng takes up.

She is so much fun to watch in the first half that the second half feels a bit like a lead weight.

The movie gets very serious very fast.

The lighting gets darker, and the music starts doing that heavy lifting that early sound films loved to do.

There is a scene with a rich family that felt a bit like a cartoon.

They are so mean and stuck-up that you almost expect them to start twirling mustaches.

I kept waiting for Xiao Feng to just punch someone, but the movie has other plans for her.

The ending... man, the ending is a lot.

It doesn't really give you a happy little bow to tie everything up.

It just kind of leaves you standing there in the rain with the characters.

I liked that the movie didn't try to make Shanghai look beautiful.

It looks crowded and muddy and loud even though it’s a silent film with some sound bits.

You can practically smell the smoke in the air during the street scenes.

The extras in the background actually look like they have jobs to get to.

Sometimes they look right at the camera, which is a bit funny and breaks the spell for a second.

But then you see Wang Renmei’s face again and you’re back in it.

Her performance is the whole reason this thing works at all.

If she wasn't so likable, the movie would just be a boring lecture about class struggle.

She makes you care about a girl who just wants to find her dad and maybe not starve.

It’s not a perfect movie by any means.

The middle part drags a bit when they spend too much time in small rooms talking about their feelings.

I wanted more of her running around the docks and causing trouble.

But when it hits, it hits hard.

It’s a strange little time capsule of a world that doesn't exist anymore.

Or maybe it does, and we just have better phones now.

Either way, it’s a solid pick if you want something with some actual grit in its teeth.

Just don't expect a fun romantic comedy because it stops being that pretty quickly. 🥀