Reviews

The Good Earth is a film about love, marriage, family, and the land that you live on. But more precisely its about faithfulness to those institutions and bedrocks of society as shown through O-Lan and her farming family in China.

A wonderful story by Pearl Buck, Great direction by Sidney Franklin and Victor Fleming [uncredited], very good acting headed by Paul Muni, great cinematography by Karl Freund, and special effects 20 years ahead of their time make this a classic.

However as good as those elements to this film are the reason The Good Earth is one of the 100 greatest films of all time is O-Lan. O-Lan, O-Faithful O-Lan. How you linger in my memory. One of my two favorite female character-performances in film history. The other is Scarlett O'Hara. Two peas in a pod? No, more like night and day. Both beautiful in their own way. It amazes me that these two character-performances came from films directed by Victor Fleming within two years of each other. Louise Rainer as O-Lan gives a performance as subtle and subdued as the character she plays. While Vivien Leighs performance is as perky and over the top as the character she plays. O-Lan is discreet and selfless. Scarlett is brash and self-absorbed. O-What a double feature Gone With the Wind and The Good Earth would make. O-Lan and Scarlett. Ying and Yang.

If you are a "liberated woman" than The Good Earth may not be for you. But as for me, O-Lan is the salt of the good earth.

As a big Elia Kazan fan I am pleased to say A Face in the Crowd is my favorite film of his. And considering he made Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn I think this is high praise indeed. The film is about charisma and power and the evil and corruption they can bring. The film stars Andy Griffith as Lonesome Rhodes. Thats right Andy Griffith in a brilliant performance I might add. Excellent performances by Patricia Neal, Walter Matthau, and Lee Remick in her film debut. A great script and of course Elia Kazan bringing it all together. If you think charisma is a good thing I suggest you might reconsider that thought after watching this film. You might find amazing similarities between Lonesome Rhodes and another famous southern charmer as well. If you like Elia Kazan, love great acting and writing, and find films about charisma and power interesting. A Face in the Crowd is a must see.