The Grapes Of Wrath [1940]
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 STOKE, OLD, OLD MAN. HIS FOLKS BURIED HIM BECAUSE THEY GOT NO MONEY TO PAY FOR FUNERALS. NOBODY KILLED HIM. JUST A STROKE, AND HE DIED.
(2) MA(JANE DARWELL): Rich fellas come up, an' they die, an' thier kids ain't no good, an they die out. But we keep-a-comin'. We're the people that live. Can't lick us. We'll go on forever, Pa, because we're the people.
MA: Well, Pa, woman can change bettern a man. Man lives - well in jerks. Baby born or somebody dies - that's a jerk. With a woman it's all one flow, like a stream - little eddies, little waterfalls - but the river, it goes right on. Woman looks at it that way.
A GENUINELY GREAT MOTION PICTURE. ACOORDING TO DAD, " THE MOST MATURE MOTION PICTURE THAT HAS EVER BEEN MADE, IN FEELING, IN PURPOSE AND IN THE USE OF THE MEDIUM." PERSONALLY I FEEL THAT IT IS A SEERING AND SINCERE INDICTMENT OF A MAN'S CRUEL INDIFFERENCE TO HIS FELLOWS. IT RECEIVED ACADEMY NOMINATIONS FOR BEST PICTURE(Nunnally Jhonson) BEST ACTOR(HANK FONDA). IT WON BEST DIRECTOR: JOHN FORD and BEST ACTRESS: JANE DARWELL.