This movie is strongly driven by a logic of Orientalism. In other words, the British men who are on a mission to "save the world" from Fu-Manchu are actually representative of the "West," and Fu-Manchu is representative of the "East." Historically, the Western civilizations have been put on a direct opposition to Eastern civilizations. The "East," or the "Orient" has repeatedly been framed as a threat, and as the enemy. This movie is a very accurate demonstration of this idea.
Fu-Manchu is (or should be), by his nature of being a Chinese man, inferior to the White men. However, because he was able to get three doctorates from Western education, he is able to use this intellect and turn it against the Western empire. Therefore, the White man's empire must be protected by moral, strong, and superior British men.
This reasoning is not a simple storyline that is encapsulated within a single movie. The idea that the modern day's audience should simply "ignore" or "take into consideration" the time period in which this movie was made in is not a reasonable request. The ideas that exist in this movie represent a much larger societal and political perspective that Orientalism is a justification and an anchor for war, and this perspective is not only alive, but it is alive and well in our modern society. Therefore, I urge you to think about these concepts as you watch the movie.
Fu-Manchu is (or should be), by his nature of being a Chinese man, inferior to the White men. However, because he was able to get three doctorates from Western education, he is able to use this intellect and turn it against the Western empire. Therefore, the White man's empire must be protected by moral, strong, and superior British men.
This reasoning is not a simple storyline that is encapsulated within a single movie. The idea that the modern day's audience should simply "ignore" or "take into consideration" the time period in which this movie was made in is not a reasonable request. The ideas that exist in this movie represent a much larger societal and political perspective that Orientalism is a justification and an anchor for war, and this perspective is not only alive, but it is alive and well in our modern society. Therefore, I urge you to think about these concepts as you watch the movie.