The Grapes of Wrath-Bitter But A Slice of Americana ****

Rating: 10/10 (5 June 2011)

Tragedy of the dust bowl of the 1930s, the economic collapse and the resulting great depression all highlight this outstanding John Steinbeck book, which was made into a monumental motion picture.
Very hard to believe that Henry Fonda's Tom Joad lost the Oscar that year to Jimmy Stewart in "The Philadelphia Story." Fonda gave a superb performance in the role of the Oakie son going with his family to California to start life anew.
A year after her role as Aunt Pity Pat in the superb "Gone With the Wind," Jane Darwell won the best supporting actress award for her super sensitive but tough-minded Ma Joad. She depicted the pain felt by so many Americans during this difficult period, and won a well-deserved Oscar, despite the fact that her competition included Barbara O'Neil, ironically Scarlett O'Hara's mother in GWTW and the magnificent Judith Anderson as Mrs. Danvers in "Rebecca." What a difficult choice the Academy had.
As for the "Grapes of Wrath," it lost the Oscar to "Rebecca," but picked up the director's award for John Ford. The latter had an understanding of America and he was rewarded for depicting 1930s landscape. The movie dealt with harsh reality and is a tribute to the men and women of the period.