Directed by Sidney Franklin • 1937 • United States
Starring Paul Muni, Luise Rainer, Walter Connolly

Introduction: This film has been programmed as part of the series Hollywood Chinese, a survey on the history of Chinese representation in American cinema, curated by filmmaker Arthur Dong. He notes: “Despite the yellowface casting of lead roles, THE GOOD EARTH featured noteworthy performances by Chinese American actors in supporting parts, and the film’s pursuit to create an authentic China resulted in a marked switch from the stereotypical depictions often seen in Hollywood films of the era.” For further context, we recommend watching Mr. Dong’s series introduction and his documentary HOLLYWOOD CHINESE, now playing on the Channel.

In this epic adaptation of Pearl S. Buck’s sweeping, Pulitzer Prize–winning novel of love, duty, greed, and revolution, struggling Chinese farmer Wang Lung (Paul Muni) weds O-Lan (Luise Rainer), a woman raised as the slave of a wealthy, sophisticated family. Through famine, revolution, plague, and infidelity, O-Lan finds the strength to hold her family together, a strength drawn from within and from the land itself. The final film produced by MGM’s legendary Irving Thalberg—who was known for combining literary prestige with commercial success—THE GOOD EARTH received Oscars for Best Actress and Cinematography, with Karl Freund’s camera work most powerfully on display in the astonishing locust-plague sequence.