Dragon Seed

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Movie
German title Dragon Seed
Original title Dragon Seed
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1944
length 147 minutes
Rod
Director Jack Conway ,
Harold S. Bucquet
script Marguerite Roberts ,
Jane Murfin
production Pandro S. Berman
music Herbert Stothart
camera Sidney Wagner
cut Harold F. Kress
occupation

and (without mentioning): Philip Ahn , Abner Biberman , John Bleifer , Claire Du Brey , Leonard Mudie , Jay Novello , Frank Puglia and Philip Van Zandt

Drachensaat (original title: Dragon Seed ) is an American film drama in black and white from 1944. Directed first Jack Conway and then Harold S. Bucquet . The screenplay was written by Marguerite Roberts and Jane Murfin based on the novel of the same name by Pearl S. Buck . The main role was played by Katharine Hepburn .

action

In 1937, shortly before the Second Sino-Japanese War , the rice planter Ling Tan lived in a Chinese village with his wife and three sons. Lao Ta, the eldest son, and his wife Orchid have two children, while the youngest, Lao San, is still a bachelor. The middle son, Lao Er, is newly married to Jade and has doubts about his wife's love, also because she does not fulfill her marital duties. In a clarifying conversation he learns that Jade, very unusual for a country farmer, can read and wants a book. Lao He asked Wu Lien, a relative and trader who specializes in Japanese goods. He recommends the book Die Räuber vom Liang-Schan-Moor , a classic in Chinese literature about a resistance group. When Wu Lien sells him the book, the shop is attacked by an angry crowd, who demand that Wu stop selling Japanese goods. When he refuses, they destroy the shop. Lao He can bring the book to Jade, and the two of them find each other.

Jade will soon become pregnant. But the war also made itself felt, the neighboring city was bombed. Ling goes there and is appalled by the destruction he finds there. Lao Er and Jade join the refugees from the city with the aim of organizing a resistance group. The rest of the family, on the other hand, wants to get through the war on the farm. When the Japanese take over the village, they are received peacefully. But they want to have fun and plunder and raid Ling's farm, among others. They rape and kill Orchid. As a result, Lao San and Lao Ta also join the resistance fighters, Ling and his wife stay behind with their grandchildren. Wu Lien, on the other hand, comes to terms with the Japanese. This gives him a certain influence and can now live in luxury.

Months later, hunger and disease broke out; Orchid's children have already starved to death. Lao Er and Jade come back with their now-born son, they want to organize the resistance from Ling's court. The group stole Japanese weapons and used them to attack enemy soldiers. After relatives reveal to Wu Lien that Ling's house is resisting, Jade seeks out Wu Lien. She asks him which side he is on, but is convinced that he will betray her in the long run. So she helps in the kitchen, where a feast is being prepared for the Japanese, and poisons the food. Several Japanese soldiers were killed and Wu Lien was shot. Later, after further fighting, the resistance calls on Lien and his colleagues to destroy their crops and land so that the enemy cannot profit from it. The farmers refuse at first, but Jade convinces them of the need to withhold supplies from the Japanese. Jade and Lao He will continue fighting, Ling and his wife, on the other hand, flee with Jade's son, the "dragon seed", to the still free China.

production

After the great success of Die Gute Erde (1937), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was interested in another film adaptation of a novel by Pearl S. Buck . MGM secured the rights to the bestselling Dragon Seed from 1942, which also received critical acclaim. Even if it was clear that the production would be expensive, the film was expected to be a great success. In addition, the pro-Chinese and anti-Japanese propaganda responded to the government's request for support in the war effort.

Cast and crew

Originally Mervyn LeRoy provided as director. His first choice for the role of Jade was Judy Garland , but Luise Rainer , Hedy Lamarr and Greer Garson were also tested for the role. Hedy Lamarr and Greer Garson failed when attempts were made to make them up as Chinese women. The role of Wu Lien was originally intended to be played by Charles Laughton . But when this had to cancel because of another film ( The Canterville Ghost ) , Laird Cregar and Sydney Greenstreet were traded for the role. Other prominent actors contemplated for roles in Dragon Seed include Edward Arnold , Walter Pidgeon , Donald Crisp , Fay Bainter , Edward G. Robinson , Van Heflin , Frank Morgan , Donna Reed and Gene Kelly .

Dragon Seed marked Hurd Hatfield's film debut . For Katharine Hepburn it was the first big budget film.

For the costumes in dragon's teeth was Irene responsible for the design came from Valles , the Production Design by Cedric Gibbons and Lyle R. Wheeler and Edwin B. Willis .

Yellowface

A common criticism of dragonseed is that whites play Chinese or Japanese in the film. This applies to all halfway important roles in this film. This practice, originally referred to as blackface based on African-American roles, was common in the 1940s, but has now been heavily criticized as racist, especially in the USA . There are a few actors of Chinese origin in the film, but most of them play Japanese. According to Emanuel Levy, MGM justified this with the statement that there were no Japanese-born actors to be had; they were all interned .

Even with the extras, the producers felt compelled to improvise. Because too many Chinese-American Americans were fighting in the war, Mexicans, Filipinos, and people of other ethnicities who seemed easy to make them look oriental were hired.

Karla Rae Fuller, however, offered a different interpretation. A major goal of the film was to highlight American goals and ideals. The Chinese figures were therefore only a means to an end. The 'good' Chinese should be better differentiated from the 'bad' Japanese by making the Chinese look more like Americans. The different dialects, which are much more likely in an American extended family than in a Chinese one, also support this approach.

Filming

Drachensaat was shot from October 4, 1943 to early March 1944. Additional scenes were created from April 3 to 10, 1944. The shooting took place in Calabasas , in the Chinatown of Los Angeles and in the studios of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer . On October 21, 1943, exterior shots were taken at night. This was the first time after the outbreak of war that such recordings were approved in the USA. In January 1944, director Jack Conway collapsed on the set and was replaced by Harold S. Bucquet .

The film was supposed to be shot in Technicolor , but was then shot in Life-Tone , a process developed by MGM.

Premiere

Dragon Seed premiered in New York City on July 20, 1944 . The film was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer . The film was first shown in Austria on July 7, 1950. A performance in Germany could not be proven.

reception

Reviews

Drachensaat is rated very differently by the critics, but there is agreement that the film is too long or at least very long. A common theme is the casting of the leading roles by white actors. Something like this was still normal in the 1940s, so contemporary reviews tended to criticize the various accents that were not credible in members of a family, which was confirmed by non-contemporary critics. In particular, the dialect of Katharine Hepburn and especially that of Akim Tamiroff disturbs, which the critic of the New York Times clearly emphasized ("falls upon the ear as resonantly as the sound of a filled fish banged against a temple gong") Actors in Chinese roles for not being convincing. Others couldn't enjoy the film because of it or were even disgusted by it. The film is written and cast in a racist manner.

The overall impression of the film was rated very differently. Some saw a fine film that offered good entertainment, even a well-made, powerful drama that offered suspenseful, cruelly realistic action with so many moving scenes that it was difficult to hold back tears. As a war drama with family values, the film is effective and gripping in a strange way. Others thought the film was well meant, it wasn't a bad film, but a missed opportunity. In any case, it is worse than The Good Earth . Still others found the film just gruesome, one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's worst melodramas , boring as propaganda and unconvincing as melodrama. The New York Times reviewer said the film sometimes lets you feel at least almost the true extent of the subject, but sometimes it just shows a group of people with makeup talking nonsense in different dialects. He also shows the whole power of the novel, but does not manage to characterize the characters as strongly.

The acting performances are generally classified as competent and error-free. They play their roles well. The assessments of Katharine Hepburn's performance differ. It was rated as particularly effective, but played its role too brittle. On the other hand, she was seen as completely out of place, together with Sylvia Scarlett it was the strangest film in her career, even a low point. Emanuel Levy also reports that the "great" Katharine Hepburn refused to talk about dragon seed during his interviews with her . She is only supposed to have said that this was a job and a product of its time ("an assignment and product of its time"). In contrast, Aline MacMahon is highlighted. She is also particularly effective, only she can please.

The American film scholar and critic Jeanine Basinger highlighted Drachensaat in her 1993 book A Woman's View - How Hollywood Spoke to Women 1930 - 1960 . He shows respect for an independent, free woman who knows what she wants and acts accordingly.

Awards

At the Academy Awards in 1945 , Aline MacMahon was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. However, the Oscar went to Ethel Barrymore for None But the Lonely Heart . Sidney Wagner was also nominated in the category Best Cinematography (black and white film) . Here the award went to Joseph LaShelle for Laura .

The National Board of Review scaled dragon's one as the seventh-most popular film of the year.

Gross profit

Drachensaat achieved a record result on the opening weekend in New York and became one of the best grossing films of the year. Given the enormous budget of 3 million dollars at the time, the film made a profit, but could not meet the high expectations.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h Frank Miller: Dragon Seed (1944). In: Turner Classic Movies . Accessed February 2, 2019 .
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Emanuel Levy: Dragon Seed: Drama Starring Katharine Hepburn. In: EmanuelLevy.com. March 10, 2007, accessed February 2, 2019 .
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Dragon Seed (1944). In: American Film Institute . Accessed February 2, 2019 .
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Craig Butler: Dragon Seed (1944). In: AllMovie . Accessed February 2, 2019 .
  5. ↑ a b c Hal Erickson : Dragon Seed (1944). In: AllMovie . Accessed February 2, 2019 .
  6. ↑ a b c d Jamie S. Rich: Katharine Hepburn 100th Anniversary Collection. In: DVDTalk. May 29, 2007, accessed February 2, 2019 .
  7. ↑ a b c d e Dennis Schwartz: Dragon Seed. In: sover.net. Accessed February 2, 2019 .
  8. ^ Axel Nissen: The Films of Agnes Moorehead . Scarecrow Press, Plymouth 2013, ISBN 978-0-8108-9137-1 , Dragon Seed , pp. 56 (English, limited preview in Google Book Search [accessed February 2, 2019]).
  9. ↑ Release Info. In: Internet Movie Database . Accessed February 2, 2019 .
  10. ↑ a b c d e f PPK: 'Dragon Seed,' Picturization of the Pearl Buck Novel, With Katharine Hepburn, Walter Huston, Arrives at Music Hall . In: The New York Times . July 21, 1944 ( online on the New York Times pages [accessed February 2, 2019]).
  11. ^ A b Leonard Maltin: Leonard Maltin Ratings & Review. In: Turner Classic Movies. Accessed February 2, 2019 .
  12. ↑ a b c d “Dragon Seed” with Katharine Hepburn and Walter Huston . In: Harrison's Reports . July 22, 1944, p.  119 (English, online at Archive.org [accessed February 2, 2019]).
  13. ↑ a b c d e Dragon Seed . In: Variety . July 19, 1944, p.  18 (English, online at Archive.org [accessed February 2, 2019]).
  14. ↑ Dragon Seed. In: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Accessed February 2, 2019 .
  15. ↑ 'Dragon Seed' Soars to $ 125,000 To Pace NY, 'Since'-Krupa Wow 90G, Others Helped by Overflow . In: Variety . July 26, 1944, p.  17 (English, online at Archiv.org [accessed February 2, 2019]).
  • Karla Rae Fuller: Hollywood Goes Oriental: CaucAsian Performance in American Film . Wayne State University Press, Detroit 2010, ISBN 978-0-8143-3467-6 , pp. 145–158 (English, limited preview in Google Book Search [accessed February 2, 2019]).
  1. ↑ a b p. 145.
  2. ↑ pp. 152-153.
  3. ↑ p. 158.