Average family during the Great Depression endures many hardships

Rating: 7/10 (30 September 2014)

So much for a story about fruit, The Grapes of Wrath is way much more than that! This film may start off quiet and dull, but it leads to a much more action-packed plot! Although different from the original book, the film still does include the major points and the overall themes of the story. The Grapes of Wrath is a story about a poverty stricken family, the Joads, who migrate from their home in Oklahoma to California in search of work and a better life. The main antagonist is poverty which is enhanced in the black and white color settings of the movie. Because it is in only black or white, it is clearly felt and shown the desperation and lack of hope the Joads have. On the entire journey towards California, the family endures every possible trial they could have faced. They lose family members to death and abandonment, suffer from "persecution", poverty and hunger, and have a constant breakdown from their run-down truck. However, their determination, along with Ma Joad's eventual leadership, demonstrates one of the major lessons that strength can be found in numbers and with each other. Henry Fonda, who plays Tom Joad, the protagonist-a man recently released from prison, portrays Tom the way that Tom is supposed to be received. He acts as a caring, yet strong-willed and sometimes reckless youth- which is then shown in Fonda's vibrant facial expressions and motions. All of the actors portray their roles with an enthusiasm that is then proved in the accurate representation of the characters. Although many times, there is a small form of hope throughout the book, viewers never expect that The Grapes of Wrath will have a happy ending. The film did not include the intercalary chapters from the book but enough foreshadowing is presented allowing us to know that it is a moral story with no satisfying end. Overall, this film is mind captivating forcing readers to think about life in many aspects, and reconsider decisions made. It teaches important values and how to have faith in times of hardships.