Dragon Seed (1944) Katharine Hepburn Eng

In 1937, the Tan family are hard working and prosperous farmers living in Southern China, they who are unwise to the ways outside of their day-to-day lives. The area has not yet been directly affected by the Sino-Japanese War taking place in the north, although local students warn of its impending arrival. One who takes their heed is Jade Tan, one of the Tan's daughters-in-law, who is an independent thinking woman and who aspires to be a learned person, and not just fill the traditional role of being merely a servant to her husband, Lao Er Tan. When the Japanese finally come knocking on their doorsteps, the Tans, collectively and individually, must decide what best to do, especially without access to guns or other such weapons. Among the Tan family includes their only son-in-law Wu Lien, a wealthy merchant who was once targeted by the local students for selling Japanese goods - which he did unabashedly - and thus was seen as indirectly supporting the Japanese war effort. By this time, Jade and Lao Er have joined a migrant group assisting the Chinese war effort. They hope to be able to bring news back to their family on how best to combat the enemy threat, even if it goes against father Ling Tan's pacifist nature, and ideals of family unity and agrarian life.