This remarkable film version of Steinbeck?s novel was nominated for seven Academy Awards®, including for Best Picture, Actor (Henry Fonda), Film Editing, Sound and Writing. John Ford won the Best Director Oscar® and actress Jane Darwell won Best Actress for her portrayal of Ma Joad, the matriarch of the struggling migrant farmer family. Following a prison term he served for manslaughter, Tom Joad returns to find his family homestead overwhelmed by weather and the greed of the banking industry. With little work potential on the horizon of the Oklahoma dust bowls, the entire family packs up and heads for the promised land ? California. But the arduous trip and harsh living conditions they encounter offer little hope, and family unity proves as daunting a challenge as any other they face.
Ranking No. 21 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest American films, this 1940 classic is a bit dated in its noble sentimentality, but it remains a luminous example of Hollywood classicism from the peerless director of mythic Americana, John Ford. Adapted by Nunnally Johnson from John Steinbeck's classic novel, the film tells a simple story about Oklahoma farmers leaving the depression-era dustbowl for the promised land of California, but it's the story's emotional resonance and theme of human perseverance that makes the movie so richly and timelessly rewarding. It's all about the humble Joad family's cross-country trek to escape the economic devastation of their ruined farmland, beginning when Tom Joad (Henry Fonda) returns from a four-year prison term to discover that his family home is empty. He's reunited with his family just as they're setting out for the westbound journey, and thus begins an odyssey of saddening losses and strengthening hopes. As Ma Joad, Oscar-winner Jane Darwell is the embodiment of one of America's greatest social tragedies and the "Okie" spirit of pressing forward against all odds (as she says, "because we're the people"). A documentary-styled production for which Ford and cinematographer Gregg Toland demanded painstaking authenticity, The Grapes of Wrath is much more than a classy, old-fashioned history lesson. With dialogue and scenes that rank among the most moving and memorable ever filmed, it's a classic among classics--simply put, one of the finest films ever made. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
JOHN FORD'S CLASSIC B/W VERSION:
The Grapes of Wrath
US 1940 128mins. bw
AFTER THE DUST BOWL DISASTER OF THE THIRTIES, OKLAHOMA FARMERS TREK TO CALIFORNIA IN THE HOPE OF A BETTER LIFE. A SUPERB FILM WHICH COULD SCARELY BE IMPROVED UPON. THOUGH THE ENDING IS SOFTENED FROM THE BOOK, THERE WAS TOO MUCH HERE FOR FILM-GOERS TO CHEW ON. ACTING, CINEMATOGRAPHY AND DIRECTION COMBINE TO MAKE THIS AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE. GREAT QUOTES FROM THE FILM WHICH I CHERISH:
(1) TOM(HENRY FONDA): THIS HERE'S WILLIAM JAMES JOAD, DIED OF A... more info
Hard Times:
My father was born in Oklahoma in 1923 . His family left Oklahoma during the dust bowl for Arizona . This was his favorite movie as it reminded him of his childhood . I've watched this movie several times with my dad and its an all time classic of Henry Fonda's .
Simple review..:
Lets keep it simple...shall we...
Movie is not as good as the book...but it is good...most movies are not as good as the book.
Just a Great Movie!:
I love this movie and have to admit I enjoy it more than the book. The book is about too preachy for me, but the movie focuses on the story and clarifies it. An amazing achievement for all involved and Henry Fonda probably had his greatest performance in this picture. John Ford, Gregg Toland and others involved with this picture did a fine job. Jane Darwell gives a wonderful performance as Ma Joad. A classic.
