Review: The Grapes of Wrath

The story of the Joads, a family of poor farmers forced off their land by bankers during the Great Depression. Henry Fonda is Tom Joad, recently paroled from prison after a stint for killing a man. He soon catches up with his family after they’ve been evicted from their long-time family home and are heading west on the promise of supposed jobs out that way. They are set for an awful lot of disappointment, as it’s called the Great Depression for a reason. Jane Darwell plays family matriarch Ma Joad, Charley Grapewin is the senile grandpa Joad, and John Carradine plays an ex-preacher looking for his next calling in life.

 

Classic, still-powerful 1940 adaptation of the John Steinbeck novel, this John Ford (“The Searchers”, “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”) film is really sad, harrowing stuff. Sure, today you could play up the hunger/starvation and illness, and that’s fine. You simply couldn’t go that far in 1940, for the era this must’ve been pretty uncomfortable stuff. It’s also, in its own way, an uplifting film, which for me is the key to why it has lasted for so long. When people talk about triumphs of the human spirit, this story is pretty much the epitome of that notion. The Joads, and those in the same situation as them, keep on going no matter what is thrown in their way, no matter how many times they get kicked down. The film offers up a disgusting exploitation of poor, unfortunate, starving people. This kind of shit really happened and really could happen again (Although it must be said that the ‘Okies’ actually had a happier ending far down the line, apparently).

 

Its power and continued resonance I think comes from the fact that this is a universal story. We can all sit there and wonder just how horrible this kind of life would be, some might’ve even gone through something similar. Too many people, not enough jobs etc. There’s a particularly terrific scene where a couple of the Joads stop by a diner. You almost want to turn away in embarrassment for these (literally) poor people, and I say that with absolutely no intended condescension or patronisation whatsoever. This is pure empathy, you kinda wonder how you would cope in a situation like this. The other thing that really gets to you in this is how much distrust this whole exploitive situation drums up in the Joads. Meanwhile, looking at this film for maybe the fifth time or so, I noticed something that I had previously overlooked: Listen to what Tom Joad (Henry Fonda) says about the crime he committed. This guy, our chief protagonist, fucking caved a guy’s head in. Henry Fonda plays the chief protagonist and he’s a guy who went to prison for caving a guy’s fucking head in. I’m surprised that actually managed to pass censors in 1940.

 

There’s several strong performances in this film, and a whole lot of interesting faces. The first you may notice is gaunt, haunted-looking veteran character actor John Carradine in one of the strongest parts he ever got. Playing a lapsed preacher looking for a new direction, you find yourself constantly worrying for him. Terrific performance, and it’s always nice to see a young-ish John Qualen as Muley. Veteran John Wayne movie staple Ward Bond also turns up as a cop. Charley Grapewin makes for a memorable, addle-brained Grandpa as well. However, the two you’re most likely to remember here are Jane Darwell’s Ma Joad and Henry Fonda’s Tom Joad. Darwell is Ma Joad. In my opinion, Darwell’s Ma Joad is cinema’s greatest matriarch. She has the saddest eyes I’ve ever seen, but Darwell gives her an inner strength. She also gets one of the film’s (and all of cinema’s) most memorable speeches towards the end of the film. Everyone knows it, I don’t need to repeat it here. Fonda, as the iconic Tom Joad gives one of his more interesting performances. His Tom is cagey, suspicious of others, has a violent past, but ultimately you root for him. Maybe it’s something of a humble, everyman quality that the actor himself brings (he certainly brings an authenticity), but also the audience connects to Tom, his family and their like, as they are mistreated throughout the film. As for that other great speech in the film, it’s Tom’s and “Three Amigos!” fans will find it oddly familiar, too.

 

The film quite simply wouldn’t work in colour, the B&W cinematography the legendary Gregg Toland (“Citizen Kane”, “The Best Years of Our Lives”) is full of amazing scenery and taciturn, weary-looking and gaunt faces throughout. The music score by Alfred Newman (“The Diary of Anne Frank”, “The Greatest Story Ever Told”) is also memorable, you’ll recognise some of the themes, particularly ‘Red River Valley’, which I believe also turned up in “The Ox Bow Incident” and much later “Tombstone”. 

 

Scripted by Nunnally Johnson (“My Cousin Rachel”, “How to Marry a Millionaire”, “The Dirty Dozen”), this is an unforgettable, stirring, and powerful film, quite simply one of the greatest American stories put to the silver screen. You need to see this film. It’s a must.

 

Rating: A+