Amazon.com Essentials:
Ranking No. 21 on the American Film Institute's list of the
100 greatest American films, this 1940 classic is a bit dated in its
noble sentimentality, but it remains a luminous example of Hollywood
classicism from the peerless director of mythic Americana, John
Ford. Adapted by Nunnally Johnson from John Steinbeck's classic
novel, the film tells a simple story about Oklahoma farmers
leaving the depression-era dustbowl for the promised land of
California, but it's the story's emotional resonance and theme of
human perseverance that makes the movie so richly and timelessly
rewarding. It's all about the humble Joad family's cross-country trek
to escape the economic devastation of their ruined farmland, beginning
when Tom Joad (Henry Fonda) returns from a four-year prison term to
discover that his family home is empty. He's reunited with his family
just as they're setting out for the westbound journey, and thus begins
an odyssey of saddening losses and strengthening hopes. As Ma Joad,
Oscar-winner Jane Darwell is the embodiment of one of America's
greatest social tragedies and the "Okie" spirit of pressing forward
against all odds (as she says, "because we're the people"). A
documentary-styled production for which Ford and cinematographer Gregg
Toland demanded painstaking authenticity, The Grapes of Wrath
is much more than a classy, old-fashioned history lesson. With
dialogue and scenes that rank among the most moving and memorable ever
filmed, it's a classic among classics--simply put, one of the finest
films ever made. --Jeff Shannon
