My brief review of the film

Rating: Null/10 (22 January 2005)

A historically important and extremely accurate portrayal of the times and experiences of those disadvantaged by the Depression. It shows how some Californians were inviting and the cruelty of others, and the film manages to expose exactly what the book aimed to expose in terms of the dehumanising effect of the Depression. The degree of accuracy of the film makes it at times painstakingly uneasy, but nonetheless the subject matter is given appropriate treatment. In terms of lighting, acting and direction it nears perfection too. The title refers to how some Californian farmers would spray kerosene on their leftover, rotting produce to stop new migrants from eating it, and that idea in itself haunts the whole film.