Review of The Grapes of Wrath (1940) by Mike C — 04 Jul 2010
Thank you, John Steinbeck and John Ford, for this masterpiece. Oh, and Henry Fonda. I think it's one of the greatest stories ever told. Steinbeck made magic on paper, and Ford and Fonda did the same on film. What else can I say about the guys who put my biography in the movies 70 years ago? I've long said Steinbeck was not a great writer, but one of the best storytellers. I think Grapes is definitely his best work. While it seems the movie could not possibly fail even with a fair director, Ford definitely helped. Even more, I think Fonda brings Tom Joad to life better than anyone could. It could be one of the top three characters in all of movie history.
On the social side, what a great topic. We can pretend these issues went away, maybe around the same time the movies went to color, but they're still out there. Maybe not as drastic, and definitely never so dramatically captured in writing or in black and white film, but definitely out there. I think that, and the timeless struggle so many can relate to, is what makes this movie magical.
I give it 10/10, with 2010 inflations, of course. It's just too old to really merit 10/10 on it's own, but is still probably a solid 8.5 on story and acting alone.
This review of The Grapes of Wrath (1940) was written by Mike C on 04 Jul 2010.
The Grapes of Wrath has generally received very positive reviews.
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