A startling and daring condemnation of American society during the Great Depression, as a family attempts to find work and refuge after being moved off their farm. Originally a novel by John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath has become a classic story amongst American popular culture, and the film, starring Henry Fonda, regularly appears in Top Film lists.
Fonda plays a character called Tom Joad, an ex-convict, who makes an arduous journey after leaving prison back to his family’s home, only to find them gone, and the land repossessed by the owners, who have sold their farm. Eventually, Tom catches up with the Joad clan, who are making their way West, to California, where they have been told there are jobs to be had. Homeless, near-penniless, and only a rickety truck to carry themselves and their belongings, Tom and his family experience the harsh reality of being poor during this tumultuous period in American history; they are preyed upon by hustlers, beaten by the police, and set upon by townsfolk who want to keep any jobs for themselves.
The story, whilst depicting some of the most vile behaviour in people, also shows the generous and loving side of human nature too. At a small café, the Joad’s attempt to buy some bread (which they cannot afford) asking only for the amount they can purchase, but the diner owner lets them have the whole loaf; whilst the waitress sells the kids sweets for a heavily discounted price. Tom’s mother, played by Jane Darwell, frets at one of the camps they encounter, when she discovers a raggedy band of malnourished children, whom she quickly cooks up a batch of soup for.
The film has plenty of relevance to our current situation, and the lessons are there still to be learnt.
Combined with a script that’s as sharp as a pitchfork, the plot moves effortlessly on screen, utilizing a Road-Trip format with plenty of drama, humour and pathos. The characters are varied and intriguing, and the dialogue between Fonda and Darwell near the end is a piece of cinematic beauty.
Spectacular.
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