Harry Black As a Chinese, I found this film is really realistic. It showed almost the most accurate thoughts, action and the life style in that period of time. And it still give us hope to see the bright side, to carry on. I really liked this. This one is more fair than films made by Chinese. 'cause we are the victim in that war, but everything has two sides. There are no total right or wrong in one thing. So, in the Americans' view, things can be more fair. 'cause they can see things in a outsider's point of view. Many things can be clearer in this way. still. I am truly admire the director and the casts. they really had a hard time making this film. And in the end, I'd like to say that Katharine Hupburn made a great sacrifice to wear that make-up all the time. P.S. Pearl S. Buck was really an expert of China.

blanche-2 Pearl Buck's novel "Dragon Seed" was made into a film in 1944. Back then, for reasons known only to themselves, the studios did not cast Chinese to play Chinese in major roles. Looking at the film now, I guess it's important to remember that to the 1944 audiences, there was nothing unusual about this.Taking the non-Chinese casting out of the equation for just a moment, "The Dragon Seed" is a powerful story of what happened to the Chinese during the barbaric occupation of the Japanese. The story focuses on the family of Ling Tan (Walter Huston), his wife (Aline McMahon), and his sons, Lao Er Tan (Turhan Bey) and wife Jade (Katharine Hepburn), Lao San Tan (Hurd Hatfield) and Lao Ta Tan (Robert Bice). Jade is a modern thinker, and part of the story deals with the struggles between the new times and old traditions and the role of women. The other part of the story is how various people deal with the occupation. There is submissiveness, resistance, and collaboration.I'm most moved by a review on this site by a man who has a Chinese father-in-law. His father-in-law loved the film. No one in China knew that America was on their side; they were taught to hate the western world.So if a Chinese man can overlook the casting, I suppose I can too, but I can't. The acting is fantastic, but one wonders what was wrong with Anna May Wong, Keye Luke, Sen Yung, and why only the extras and children seemed to be at the very least Asian. For me the most egregious casting was that of Katharine Hepburn. Her acting came alive in the second part of the film. She once said that Spencer Tracy made her seem very feminine. He's not in this movie. In the beginning, in the love scenes with her husband, it doesn't come off. She's better when the character shows strength. Her finishing school accent and wig don't cut it either. Very difficult to watch. Also, she seems oddly matched with Turhan Bey.This film is still well worth seeing. It's very dramatic and emotional, with a very big and poignant ending.

Neil Doyle It may be disconcerting to see blue-eyed Caucasian actors playing Orientals, but once this initial distraction is over, the story of DRAGON SEED takes over and it's an engrossing one. Film's chief flaw is the fact that Pearl Buck's story is overlong--and so is the film.Chinese villagers have to flee the enemy, Japanese soldiers, during the 1930s, and WALTER HUSTON and ALINE MacMAHON are the sturdy head of a family that includes daughter KATHARINE HEPBURN, as Jade. None of the three principals are particularly convincing in their Oriental make-up, but it's still fascinating to watch them perform.HURD HATFIELD, TURHAN BEY, AKIM TAMIROFF, JACQUELINE DeWIT and HENRY TRAVERS are further examples of offbeat casting, but the grim story of survival of the fittest under cruel exploitation by the enemy is well crafted and always interesting to follow.The film is photographed in meticulous B&W, crisply produced in the handsome MGM manner--with main attention going to Huston and MacMahon who do nicely in the leading roles. Hepburn, thankfully, is less mannered and less on display than usual. One of the most interesting scenes involves her decision to poison her brother-in-law during a banquet at his "mansion". Summing up: Admirers of other Pearl Buck works (like THE GOOD EARTH) should find this unusual drama well worth watching. MGM should be commended for producing a very tasteful version of the novel. Story ends on a fever pitch with a graphic simulation of "the scorched earth policy" as practiced by the Chinese villagers.

PsyDtoBe OK, just to start, let me say this: Katharine Hepburn as a submissive Chinese wife!That alone justifies a rating of 1. This movie was made under the aegis of patriotism, showing our allies, the Chinese, as humble, brave and long-suffering and our enemies, the Japanese, as brutal and cruel. Of course, all the Japanese were played by Chinese and all the Chinese were played by white people. The somehow stereotypically Jewish Chinese merchant who put greed before his family and country manages to be racist to Chinese people AND anti-Semitic all at the same time!I watched this movie for a class on 1940's American film in college. It's a truly good thing that this is not the height of what the decade had to offer. I don't recommend this movie for anything other than a historic/sociological look at the mindset of the decade. For that it's useful, for everything else, it's garbage.