The Grapes of Wrath

Starring: Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Charley Grapewin
Directed by: John Ford
Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Drama
Box Office: $-
1940

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Tom Joad (Henry Fonda) returns home after a stint in prison to discover his family is being forced off their land, and about to embark on a journey from Oklahoma to California, in hopes of finding jobs and food. Tom joins them as they begin their perilous trek.

Review:

Tim: The Grapes of Wrath was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, winning two. It is also ranked #21 on the American Film Institute's 100 Greatest American Films. This is an excellent adaptation from the John Steinbeck novel. Some book adaptations work, others don't. This one surely does.

The film is depressingly real. It shows what poverty does to people. It wears them out and break them down.

Henry Fonda is excellent as Tom Joad. He was honored with an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He didn't win, but it still illustrates what a job he did. For most of the film, Fonda doesn't have a whole lot of acting to do. A great deal of this is due to how the film was made. He is really good, but I understand why he didn't win the Oscar. His speech at the end, however, shows what an amazing actor he really is. Jane Darwell won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Ma Joad. This was a little surprising to me. I thought she was decent, but not good enough to win this award.

The Grapes of Wrath really strives to show the importance of family. The Joad family works to stick together in the face of so much adversity. Steinbeck knew how to tell a tale about human suffering and the dignity of man. I imagine he must have been quite proud that this movie did his book justice.

The "I'll be there" speech from Tom Joad to his mother is an incredibly touching scene. Personally, it was the highlight of the movie for me.

The music throughout the film is chosen carefully and placed at all the perfect moments. It adds such a powerful element to the movie. The film's conclusion features by far the most powerful scenes of the movie. This is a classic and though a bit outdated, is still a must-see.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: 12 Angry Men, How the West Was Won