Every person on this planet has a story to tell. It usually starts off being influenced by all our hopes, dreams, and yearnings. In the beginning, it seemed like anything could happen because time was on our side. We are young and invincible. It all feels limitless and possible. But as the days pass, we come to realize that wishes are merely that. It takes hard work, dedication, and a lot of luck to see the improbable become reality. For most, this will never be. There are too many outside obstacles out of our control that will get in the way. This is sad.
I often think perhaps we, in our youth, ask for too much. Perhaps it will become impossible due to the domino effect of all those we meet. Something unexpected happens to a loved one, a friend, or ourselves and bam…the trajectory of our paths have changed. I dreamed of directing plays on Broadway. It didn’t happen, but I was given the gift of directing and teaching for over thirty years. I wanted to get my Doctorate Degree. I settled for achieving my Masters. I literally ache inside wanting to see the world before I no longer can see. I hope I still have time. All of us have visions of ourselves in many scenarios. We just don’t know which one it will be until we are in the middle.
My mom’s story was huge. She wanted to be an opera singer. She had the voice, and the opportunity presented itself. She didn’t take the chance. My mom longed to travel. She never visited more than a few states her entire life, but she instilled that seed deep inside me when I was young. We often would sit together and watch movies about different countries and historical periods. She would be next to me, and I could hear her sigh. One particular film, though not included in our usual fanfare, had the competency to guide my mom directly to the Far East and THE GOOD EARTH. It was based on the novel written by Pearl S. Buck about a faraway country during harsh times. She was lost in thought as each frame appeared on the screen. She would say, “I can’t imagine enduring so many hardships and still surviving,” but I always bet she could have.
THE GOOD EARTH premiered 67 years ago. It won two golden statuettes for Best Actress (Luise Rainer) and Best Cinematography. It took three years to complete and cost over two million dollars, equating to over fifty-five million today. The revolution scene involved over 1,500 extras, and footage from past films was used for the backdrops of China. Due to the restrictions and wars in Asia, it was mostly created in California and Utah. Nothing has changed. My mom would be disappointed.
“The soul of a great nation is expressed in the life of its humblest people, in this simple story of a Chinese farmer may be found somewhere within the soul of China…it’s humility, its courage, its deep heritage from the past, and it’s vast promise for the future.”
O-Lan, portrayed by Rainer, was not Chinese. Nor was her co-star, Paul Muni, who played her husband Wang. It caused some concern about casting Caucasians instead of Asian heritage. It should not have happened, but the studios wielded great power in casting decisions. Rainer had just won an Oscar the previous year for Best Actress. She was the first to do this back-to-back. MGM wanted her. The movie was lucky to be made since it was a sort-of romance between a poor, destitute farmer who was able to procure a wife (a former slave) from the Great House during impossible times. Both had dreams of a better life that included owning and working the land. O-Lan was the stronger of the two characters. Her morals, her values led Wang to where he should have been all along. It’s too little too late. It is not a happy film. It is a vast tale of two lost souls who found their inner strength in the end. Rainer and Muni were extraordinary together.
The locust scene was the most memorable. This is because there was a locust outbreak in America, and camera crews were able to get that footage and put it to good use. When those clouds of ugly bugs descended from the sky and landed everywhere, it was the real deal. American geographics should be so lucky.
What I remember about THE GOOD EARTH is that everyone wanted something they did not have. This is obviously not staying within a level of gratitude, and impossible to maintain. The scenes that still pop into my head (besides the locusts) were the long lines of starving people traveling south, the out-of-control mob thundering through the palace, the firing squad, the look on their ox when he knew O-Lan was going to slaughter him, the grim agony of childbirth, and Wang’s realization of what he had and lost. Brilliant, complicated emotions wrapped up within each precious, cinematic second of life.
THE GOOD EARTH is a masterpiece. It is an epic classic with ingenious repercussions. Though its story is not long in actual years, it shares a universal theme that binds humanity together in voicing our wants and needs. Which is more important? This is for everyone to decide for themselves. I believe my mom was okay with not touring the globe singing. As she neared the end, she told me that she was grateful for being married for over sixty years, having children, and being surrounded by the love of good friends. My mom was able to find her peace… her “white pearl.” I hope dear readers, so do you.
THE GOOD EARTH is available on TCM.
