FAQ

1) She might have a mental illness. 2) She might have been tired of living. 3) She might have been curious about the outside world.

Maria is an allegory to people who fight against the truth. That Chang locked her in a dark room is analogous to Shangri La itself. She wants out. She has been told that she would quickly revert to her actual age. She won't believe it. She is a sceptic. The truth is too horrible to believe. "Is this the skin of an old woman?" she askes. She believes only what she can see. To her, Shangri La is a prison, a prison of her own making. This is why she identifies with George. He has also created his own prison. They ignore all that Shangri La has to offer in favor of all their own selfish desires. Chang offers the joys of service to others but they can't move past their own wants. How many people in the world are like Maria and George?

The version described here has been drastically cut from its original 132 minute length, its anti-war stance excised completely by the US Military during World War II. In 1986, a partial restoration using an original soundtrack, filled out with salvaged clips and a few still pictures of the production, was released by the American Film Institute, using modern technology to restore as much of the original film quality as possible, adding considerable depth to the romantic relationships of the two main characters and greatly improving the continuity of the film.