This is a really compelling story...thanks to novelist Pearl Buck, from whom you never expect anything less than the best. The moviemakers have done their best to make a hash of it, with rotten acting from almost everyone. It's especially jarring to see Katharine Hepburn in "yellowface"; wot, they couldn't find any good oriental actresses?
In fact, almost the whole cast is white, and the production suffers for it. Even the beauty of the Chinese landscape is diminished in black-and-white. The best sections are those with voice-over narrative, notably the one where the village is threatened by two storms- a natural one, and foreign invasion.
Pearl Buck is a neglected author these days, but she tackled some themes - democracy, patriarchy, justice - which are still highly relevant. Since the Chinese are great cinematographers, it would be interesting to see what they could do with her stuff.
Viewers will enjoy this movie, but the credit goes only to the novelist, not the actors or producers. You'd much better make use of your time by reading the book, in fact all of Buck's books.
In fact, almost the whole cast is white, and the production suffers for it. Even the beauty of the Chinese landscape is diminished in black-and-white. The best sections are those with voice-over narrative, notably the one where the village is threatened by two storms- a natural one, and foreign invasion.
Pearl Buck is a neglected author these days, but she tackled some themes - democracy, patriarchy, justice - which are still highly relevant. Since the Chinese are great cinematographers, it would be interesting to see what they could do with her stuff.
Viewers will enjoy this movie, but the credit goes only to the novelist, not the actors or producers. You'd much better make use of your time by reading the book, in fact all of Buck's books.