The Inn of the Sixth Happiness

This is a story of a real English woman (Gladys Aylward) who gave her life for the Chinese people as a missionary with surprisingly strong will.

She visited the office of China Inland Mission Center in London only to be refused. On her way to the introduced employer for a housemaid, she stopped by a travel agent and booked a train to China via Siberia. In this way, she always does what she believes she ought to do, upon belief of that God protects and leads her. She shows her sanguine attitude and tireless energy which are typical to God believers. One may doubt if such a woman actually exists, but I remember similar woman. I read an autobiography ("Chasing the Dragon" by Jackie Pulllinger) of another English woman who served as a missionary at the Walled City of Hong Kong. From the memory of my surprise from the book, I could believe that Cladys Aylward actually existed.

I think Ingrid Bergman acted this woman very well. However, this movie has many embroideries and dramatizations that are typical to 1950s Hollywood movies. For example, English language dominates the movie in China, and the scene the children are welcomed amid hearty cheers of people of Sian. The most questioned embroidery is that the colonel is given Caucasian blood and made to the lover of Cladys.