Film about Dignity

Rating: Null/10 (13 January 2019)

The Grapes of Wrath is a 1940 film starring Henry Fonda and directed by John Ford. It is based on a novel written by John Steinbeck. The story follows the plight of the Joad family during the 1930's in Oklahoma. The family is impacted by the return of their eldest son, Tom (played by Fonda), as he returns from a stint in prison at the same time they are being evicted from their land as a result of the "Dust Bowl" drought and the Great Depression. The film explores the conditions and displacement that many midwestern tenant farmers endured during this period.
The overarching theme of this film is dignity. Tenant farmers during this period were evicted from their land due to a long running drought and the advent of mass agriculture. The drought caused the farmers to lose income and not be able to pay the landowners. Simultaneously, the ability of machines like industrial tractors and combines decreased the value of the tenant farmer's labor. This swirl of devaluation was exacerbated by the Great Depression. The film shows how this extended to entire families being so devalued that they essentially became refugees in their own country.
For example, there is a scene where the patriarch, Pa (played by Russell Simpson) enters a diner at a gas station and asks to purchase a loaf of bread for 10¢. The waitress curtly replies that this is not a grocery store and they don't sell bread by the loaf. She then adds that, even if they did, they only have 15¢ loaves. Pa movingly asks if he can buy 10¢ of a 15¢ loaf. His sincerity and dignity in that scene are apparent. He is clearly a man not asking for charity but compassion.
The film's portrayal of a family struggling to maintain dignity is what makes it so timeless. Although the specific incidents may not resonate for every viewer, it is possible for anyone to empathize with a family fighting to stay together and lead meaningful lives in a chaotic environment. Also, the notion of technological advances displacing communities and tearing apart families has been seen in this country many times since the release of this film (use of robotics in manufacturing, globalization, etc). The Grapes of Wrath gives the viewer a glimpse of life in the Midwest during the 1930's. However, its timeless theme of maintaining dignity during periods of upheaval and its questioning of how society should treat workers displaced by technology make the film relevant today. The Grapes of Wrath is a film that should be seen by anyone seeking to think about these matters from a historical perspective.