White Woman

Judith, a young widow and cafe singer in colonial Malaysia, faces deportation for indecency. With nowhere else to go, she accepts Horace Prin's proposal as a way to secure safety and a fresh start. The arrangement sets her on a collision course with Prin's world.

Judith travels inland to Prin's plantation and immediately witnesses harsh conditions: Malay workers are poorly fed and kept under tight control, while white foremen are fugitives forced to operate far from the reach of the law. The contrast reveals the colonial power dynamics at the plantation. She begins to question Prin's supposed benevolence.

Prin governs with caprice, subjecting subordinates to his petty whims and cruel sense of humor. Judith quickly grows to resent his domination as she sees how fear and favoritism shape life on the plantation.

Hambly, a foreman distrustful of Prin's regime, tries to flee downriver. He is killed by Malay tribesmen hired by Prin, a brutal reminder of the reach of Prin's control. The incident foreshadows the peril facing those who resist.

Judith becomes enamored with David, a British Army deserter forced to work for Prin. They secretly discuss escaping together, but Prin's leverage and vigilance keep their plan fragile. The bond deepens Judith's conflict with her fate.

David's future changes when he is reassigned upriver, disrupting their escape scheme. The relocation tightens the grip Prin holds over both men and women on the plantation. Judith's hopes shift as the escape plan falters.

Ballister, a strong-willed American hired to replace Hambly, openly defies Prin and begins courting Judith. His arrival upends the fragile power balance on the plantation. Judith's tension escalates as she navigates competing loyalties.

Malay chieftains visit to negotiate a trade deal, but Prin's arrogance provokes them with insults. The affront triggers rising tensions that spill into broader conflict. The plantation becomes a flashpoint for a regional war.

The Malays launch a full-scale raid, and upriver posts are the first to fall. David narrowly escapes through the jungle to Prin's headquarters, seeking safety in a chaotic retreat. The conflict tightens the noose around Judith and David.

With Ballister foiling Prin's attempts to sabotage their boat, Judith and David escape downriver together. Their departure signals Prin's weakened grip and the crumbling plantation system. The pair heads toward uncertain freedom, pursued by the war and Prin's wrath.

Prin returns to his abandoned plantation and surveys the ruined defenses, realizing his position is hopeless. He discovers that his security is built on shaky foundations and the treachery of a disgruntled employee. The realization marks the collapse of his empire.

Prin plays a final game of poker with Ballister, taunting him about a royal flush as the Malays close in. Ballister dies from a blowgun, and Prin gloats before being killed by Malay spear-throwers on the balcony. The fall of the 'king of the river' seals his downfall.