I am an American born Chinese, and I am very impressed by this exceptionally glowing production of “The Excellent Earth”. I am also not bothered by the casting of Caucasian actors, Paul Muni and Luise Rainer, in the lead roles. This was an expensive production for MGM. They understandably sought noted stars who could plan audiences into movie theaters. Muni and Rainer were both Oscar winners with the name recognition and prestige that MGM needed to build this project viable.
I give spacious credit to Thalberg and MGM for hiring a mostly Chinese cast and for bringing a epic about Chinese peasants to the mask in the first region. In the 1930’s, the world was grand more provincial than it is today. It took courage for MGM to undertake such a project as “The Edifying Earth”.
As it turned out, the studio’s foresight paid off because this movie achieved both notable and well-liked success when originally released.
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The 1937 version of “The Superb Earth” most assuredly stands the test of time. As other reviewers have so eloquently expressed here, every aspect of this production is excellent with emphasis on the skillful direction and special effects. The special effects in this movie are even more realistic than alot of the effects you peruse in today’s movies. Mercifully, they veteran Exact locusts in the 1937 version of “The Capable Earth”. If “The Suited Earth” were filmed today, “animatronic” locusts or computer generated images of locusts would be obsolete instead. Those generally are not as convincing as the genuine thing.
But what really sets this movie apart from other gigantic films are the quality of the two lead performances by Paul Muni and Luise Rainer. Muni’s character, Wang Lung, is a awful, unsophisticated farmer. Muni could have easily portrayed him as a caricatural “hick from the sticks” or as a bumbling ethnic stereotype. Instead, he gives the farmer depth and universality as a decent, hardworking man who has not had the advantages of education or depart, but who wants to develop life better for his family. Wang Lung is basically a simple man, yet he is not simple-minded. Muni is able to roar the fervent intelligence and drive beneath the farmer’s lack of worldly experience.
Luise Rainer is a revelation as the farmer’s wife, O-Lan. O-Lan’s tranquil strength, selflessness, and dignity are poignantly suggested by the gifted Miss Rainer whose slightest gestures, glances, or whispers can form the audience feel tidal waves of empathy and emotion.
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I only wish that more people were familiar with this vivid and ethereally magnificent actress. Miss Rainer’s performance as O-Lan seems to transcend acting and enter the realm of spiritualism. It’s truly one of the huge performances by any actor in any medium.
For that alone, you must spy this movie.
“The Qualified Earth” must be considered a “milestone movie.” As yet, there is no DVD but one packed with out-takes about the making of this film would be especially welcome. There was no Oscar given for outstanding visual effects until 1939; otherwise, “The Genuine Earth” would have ‘taken home’ that award!
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The fair Luise Ranier did collect “Best Actress” award. The 1937 movie was based on Pearl Buck’s recent that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. Interest in “The Suited Earth” was revived in Drop 2004 when it was selected for “Oprah’s Book Club”. Perhaps women’s rights advocates should also give it a boost?
The memoir is about China in the 1900s. A simple farmer, Wang Lung, is ‘given’ (by his father) the slave O-Lan, for his bride. I do not remember distinguished from childhood about this film, but I definitely do not capture Paul Muni having such a mouthful of teeth! (special effecrs?!) Luise Ranier had won an Oscar the previous year for her role in the “Ziegfield Follies” — what a inequity! Here she is the completely docile, trusty wife; as someone wrote, she was streak to her husband in “eternal servitude.” And her devotion was betrayed. Partly through the machinations of “Uncle”. At every time of crisis in the tale along comes (GROAN!) the crafty, manipulatve uncle (Walter Connolly) who whines & wheedles - - inserting humor (? ) into the script and at the same time destroying family amity.
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From the Internet Movie Database are the prophetic words of musty slave O-Lan: “When I go befriend in that house, it will be with my son in my arms. I’ll have a red coat on him… and red flower trousers… and a hat with a gilded Buddha and tiger-faced shoes, and I’ll go into the kitchen where I spent my days as a slave and into the titanic hall where the stale mistress sits with her pipe, and I’ll exhibit myself and my son to all of them.” (Smiles, delighted)
Wang Lung: “Well… Now, I… I haven’t heard you express so many words since you came to this house.”
Isn’t the photography impressive for having been shot nearly seventy years ago? I found the quality of framed camera shots surprising & the production of many scenes quite unbelievable. READ Susan Wong’s wonderfully perceptive review on amazon.com.
Today’s movie-goers don’t seem to care about “just life” documentation in films, but animation couldn’t convince as the 1930s true-life locusts do! That tired word “awesome” truly fits this vintage film: the choking drought & famine, the delicate ‘condensed’ legend of harvesting when they must survive the fury of a storm, and the horrid scenes of revolutionary uprisings.
REVIEWER mcHAIKU HAILS THIS FILM, and others that made an impact on my childhood!
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