The Grapes of Wrath
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Movie Reviews of The Grapes of Wrath
Movie Review: Depression Tale Still Packs Punch
Summary: 5 Stars
I've seen "The Grapes of Wrath" any number of times over the last thirty years. I was always blinded by the film's top-notch artistry but I think I was missing the forest for the trees. What dawned on me was that writer John Steinbeck and director John Ford were mad. Not just regular mad but mean and mad. The outrage stems from how a democracy such as ours could mistreat it's citizens at a time when they needed help the most. Adding insult to injury the disenfranchised were subjected to any number of psychological and physical injuries to their person. No wonder the New Deal was such a godsend. And I'm a Republican! Despite the presence of a top-of-the line star in Henry Fonda, Ford and lensman Gregg Toland give the film a cinema-verite style that makes you believe you are watching a documentary instead of a filmed novel. The forlorn faces on display don't appear to come from Central Casting. You can actually taste the dust that's the remnants of the sharecroppers prior trade. Fonda, in probably the best performance of his career, gives an understated account of Tom Joad, parolee turned activist that's both convincing and sincere. Jane Darwell, as Ma Joad, gives one of the all-time great performances by an actress, supporting or otherwise. The worldweariness on Ma's face tells it all. A defining scene in the film is one where Ma tries to feed the family while a group of malnutrioned children look on. You can sense the agony as Ma, with meager food supplies, tries to figure out how to provide for her kin without turning the children away. "The Grapes of Wrath" is not just essential viewing it's mandatory.Movie Review: Another timeless classic that shouldn't be forgotten
Summary: 5 Stars
We all know that Citizen Kane, The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, Gone with the Wind, Raging Bull, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Network, No Country for Old Men, and There Will Be Blood are considered some of the all-time greatest films ever made. These films have been referenced and parodied numerous times, and some of them have very faithful followers (like how I am with The Godfather films). The Grapes of Wrath, on the other hand, hasn't really reached the same legendary status as other classic films, but it's just as great. I haven't read the original Steinbeck novel just yet, but the film still amazes me even if I didn't read it. Both the film and novel focus on the Great Depression, and one family who tries to get away from all the poverty by traveling to California. This is a drama made in 1940 that relies heavily on dialogue, symbolism, and scenery (if it were to be remade today, I can't possibly imagine all the car chases and fast-motion editing). The Grapes of Wrath also features a stellar ensemble of brilliant actors. This has to be one of Henry Fonda's greatest performances. As Tom, he is completely believable and memorable. One who is even more memorable is Jane Darwell as Ma (she's a marvel whenever she's on screen). The rest of the cast do very well here; I can't describe it, really.
The Grapes of Wrath may not be in the same league as Citizen Kane and The Godfather, but it's still something to be much appreciated. Let's hope it's never forgotten, especially in this era.
Movie Review: Unionism, The Triumph Of The Individual In The Face Of Adversity @ The American Birth Of The Counterculture
Summary: 5 Stars
Indeed as most reviewers note this film and story and cinematography is one of those unparalleled for overall brilliance in the portrayal of what is considered the plight of the common man in the throes of the dust bowl and depression popularized in modern music by Pete Seeger,Bruce Springsteen, Jack Kerouac in literature and the artistic expression of most anything labelled left-leaning from fashion to art.
This movie has a sublime power because it easily juxtaposes and makes one take sides between the family and the individual,love and hate, exploitation and fairness, Capitalism or benevolent Federalism all renderd in classic black and white nuanced beauty.
The film remains a tearjerker depicting Tom Joad and his family portrait of the the working poor and the disenfranchised farmer kicked off his land by carpetbaggers and bankers.Despite themes of exploitation and abuse it is possible to see the makings of an American epic and country in formation and development in which the movie pays it's homage.
A needed movie to be viewed by all on this DVD with wonderful transfers and stills, extras include newsflashes,commentary on the film, making this a worthy purchase of a history making movie that depicts a side of American history of a forgotten people living faithfully in the pursuit of security and family values amidst rapid change and industrialization changing the face of the USA and the world forever.
Movie Review: The Movie vs. The Book
Summary: 5 Stars
Overall I liked the movie, The Grapes of Wrath, better then the book because it went at a faster pace and the dialogue was enhanced by the personalities that the actors gave too the characters.
However there were certain scenes cut from the movie that were crucial to the book that I would have liked to see. One example would be the Joad's dog getting run over, which symbolized the family getting run down and coming apart. Also some scenes from the book are rearranged in the movie. For example, Tom gets his face cut by a police officer and then goes into hiding. The book then ends abruptly. Whereas in the movie, Tom gets his face cut but stays with the family for another 45 minutes. In the book, there was a metaphor before every scene that foreshadowed what would happen in the events to come; those scenes are cut from the movie. For example, in the book there is a turtle who gets flipped up on his back but then gets back up. This symbolizes a country that gets knocked down but then gets back up. I would have liked to have seen more symbolism in the movie in order to provide more meaning. I liked the end of the book better because the author concluded it well by tying up all ends. In the movie, they leave you wondering.
The differences between the movie and the book are numerous but doesn't change the plot in a great way. In my opinion, the movie is better because it provided a descriptive version of the story.
Movie Review: Poverty, social injustice, and freedom in the focus...
Summary: 5 Stars
After a four year stint in jail for a self-defense murder, Tom Joad (Herny Fonda) returns home to find his family being ousted from their home. The Joad's have decided to venture to California based on a flyer that promises a job for good pay in order to find a better way of life. On the trip the family faces countless hardships, which seems to continue as they arrive in the the promise land of California. Tom witnesses how his family and many others are being taken advantage of and how people are being considered "good-for-nothing people". Despite these adversities the Joads keep on struggling and hoping for something better to turn up. Grapes of Wrath is based on John Steinbeck's novel with the same name which sends a powerful socioeconomic message about poverty, social injustice, and freedom where the dollar seems to guide all. It also conveys a strong notion of hope, family, and determination, which can be the source of a better life. The story's messages are equally important today as they were in 1940, and Ford does a brilliant job in depicting these issues on the silver screen. Grapes of Wrath is an exceptional film that leaves the audience with a brilliant cinematic experience that will resound throughout the viewers lives as they will face these issues repeatedly.