Rural China, 1930s. A farmer, Wang (played by Paul Muni), is given a small plot of land by his father. Soon after he marries O-Lan (Luise Rainer) in an arranged marriage. Things go well: not only does he buy more land but he and his wife have three children. Then famine strikes the land and they are forced to move to the city, doing anything to stay alive. It looks like Wang and his family have to start all over again.
An interesting social and moral tale, based on Pearl Buck's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Quite epic in its span and scale. The main theme of life's vagaries, rolling with them and recovering from them is well told. The theme of legacies and succession was also done well. The moral themes - greed, theft - were touched upon but not explored too well nor extensively.
Solid work by Paul Muni in the lead role. Luise Rainer deserved her Oscar for playing O-Lan - she is fantastic in the role.
An interesting social and moral tale, based on Pearl Buck's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Quite epic in its span and scale. The main theme of life's vagaries, rolling with them and recovering from them is well told. The theme of legacies and succession was also done well. The moral themes - greed, theft - were touched upon but not explored too well nor extensively.
Solid work by Paul Muni in the lead role. Luise Rainer deserved her Oscar for playing O-Lan - she is fantastic in the role.