The Grapes Of Wrath (1940)

3 out of 3 people found the following review helpful:

All-time Classic

Ian Lowe from Wigan, England, 7th July, 2005

I shouldn't need to say much about this film. If you want to know how to construct a a good story, look no further than a John Ford film. Here we have Henry Fonda's outstanding Oscar-winning performance as Tom Joad in the moving account of a family's desperate struggle to survive the American dust-bowl tragedy in 1930s Oklahoma. Strays a little from the book but the essence is here.

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2 out of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Echoes of the Past

ChilliOne from , 29th March, 2009

In the 21st Century, the Grapes of Wrath is still as relevant as it was in 1940 when it was made. As it was then, poverty and unemployment are rife, banks are walking all over people and hope is raised only to be dashed again and again. Beautifully filmed by John Ford who won a Best Director Oscar, the Grapes of Wrath is based on John Steinbeck's novel and tells the story of the Joad family who are run off of their farm in Oklahoma and travel west to California in the hope of finding a new life. Along the way they face the realities of a migrant's life, experiencing hardship, death and explotation. Some of the roles portrayed here are superbly acted. John Carridine's Casy is the ex-Priest who has lost his faith is excellently played and Charley Grapewin's Grandpa in one of the opening scenes at the dining room is so beliveable. For me, one of weakest roles is Henry Fonda himself as Tom Joad who squanders the best lines of the film with a little too much over-acting. But this was early work for Fonda who went on to beome one of Hollywood's brightest lights. You do squirm a little at some of the socialist undertones of the movie and wander if this wasn't trying to deliver not only a story but a message as well. If it was it failed because 70 years on it appears that we've learnt very little.

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2 out of 2 people found the following review helpful:

the invisible hand

jhh from , 17th July, 2006

adam smith.s invisible hand beats the hell out of the jode family classic movie

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2 out of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Amazing

A Customer from South London, 8th December, 2005

This is one of my favourite novels of all time and usually I go to film adaptations with a heavy heart, expecting them to spoil my memory of the book and generally annoy me. This is the exception. It is such a fantastic film - well acted, written, directed and shot. Although the ending is softer than the one in the book, it is overall pretty much perfect: a masterpiece, and highly recommended.

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The Grapes of Wrath

daisymaisy from , 28th May, 2010

A good, faithful production of the book, which came back life to me, having read the book many years ago. I am not keen on the old black and white movies, per se, but this wouldn't have been the same in color.

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Nice suit

A Customer from Brighton, 9th April, 2009

Good classic old movie. Slightly crazy.

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how lucky i am

bounce01 from , 27th February, 2009

after watching this brill film i feel how lucky i am being born now rather than then but se eing this you see what a hard life they lead. good film good actors top film.

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