Tom Joad will be there and so will this movie for you

Rating: 9/10 (17 October 2012)

I'm will be there—to review John Steinbeck and his great American novel, The Grapes of Wrath, about the westward migration of people during the dust bowl in the Depression of the 1930's. It was a huge hit in 1940, and soon it was turn into a movie directed by John Ford. The film stars Henry Fonda as Tom Joads, the incredible Jane Darwell as his mother. The film stands today as one of the finest examples of sensitive American cinema. It is an incredible combination of gut-wrenching scenes threaded through feel-good scenes that make you laugh and then sob. The movie is about The Joads family. They were destitute by faceless, corporative banks that seized their lands just when Tom Joad (Henry Fonda) got out of prison. Forced out of their farm, the Joads are heading from the dust towns of Oklahoma to California for hope of a job. As aggressively coaxing is needed to acquire Grandpa Joad (Charley Grapewin) from leaving his abode, while the family meek existence is depended on the nurturing of Ma Joad (Jane Darwell) who's strong upbringing sturdily holds them together. When the family arrives upon destination, they harbor terrible living conditions and given low wages in the migrant-worker camps. Hot tempered Tom Joad eventually collides with the wrong side of the law, as he is cornered to leave his family behind. A documented-style production in which seasoned pioneer John Ford received an Academy Award for his appraised directing. The Joads suffers much, and struggle in times of adversity. The visuals of the film, was outstanding. The desolation of the land and the desperation of the people were depicted very well. It does have an uplifting message despite its gloom. A black and white cinematography that would inspire Ansel Adams. Tom Joad's speech is very powerful, and makes you appreciate every meal you have. The idea of the interpretation of the film is that despite being in hard times, the Joads gave to others. Letting others stay with them, helping out others, giving away their food. The faults of the film are these it's really heavy, slow tempo, long, and the Okie accent and dialect is hard to understand. Some harsh language in the book that wouldn't have been allowed in mainstream movies of that time is left out from the movie. The production codes did not allow for the shocking scene of a woman breast feeding a starving man that ends the book. In the book more detail is given about Tom Joad's older brother Noah. In the movie he's hardly featured at all, and in fact completely disappears from the latter part of the film with no explanation given as to where he went. The big difference between the movie and the novel is that the movie goes uphill while the novel goes entirely downhill. This makes all the difference. The uphill fashion of the film version fails to provide closure. For example, it lacks the powerful ending of the book, which I will not spoil. Anyways, this film and book should be read and view in EVERY school to show how lucky we are today and don't appreciated it with our many luxuries our money buys today. It doesn't belong 2 a particular era or country. It's the story of the struggles of humanity.