Review of The Grapes of Wrath (1940) by Gavin S — 02 Nov 2012

When you take a great novel by one of the greatest American authors and hand it to one of the greatest American directors, it should come as no surprise that you end up with one of the greatest American films of all time.

Hell, it's just one of the the great films of all time. Henry Fonda somehow ended up NOT winning Best Actor for his inhabiting the role of Tom Joad. (That reason being that Jimmy Stewart didn't win Best Actor for Mr.

Smith goes to Washington the previous year, so they gave him the Oscar for The Philadelphia Story instead) Fonda was able to do so much with simple facial expressions and body language to communicate what was going on inside, it's mesmerizing to watch.

John Ford won the Best Director Oscar for this film, showing how a great director doesn't waste a single moment and there's absolutely no extraneous filler to be seen. The use of darkness/black is astounding in the film, great work of cinematography and great camera work on closeups of starving children and the faces of the adults who have to see it.

Ford was the greatest film chronicler of the West and Manifest Destiny, so it's fascinating to see his take on what was in many ways, the last great Westward migration, during the Great Depression.

Above all else, this is the story of the human spirit, it's will to survive, endure, and move forward in the face of crippling adversity. Leaving the politics behind, focusing on the people, is what made this film great, and what will keep it great and relevant for all time.