classic narrative of the Depression dispossessed, including Exodus, with somewhat optimistic ending

Rating: 10/10 (6 October 2014)

Judging from the large number of reviews of this film, compared to most other well regarded films from this era, this must still be regarded as a classic portrayal of the plight of the rural poor during The Great Depression, dispossessed of their rented or sometimes owned land and home, forced to flee to distant overcrowded greener pastures or cities. Actually, this flight had begun around 1920, after the collapse of agriculture produce prices with the ending of WWI. Although only white Americans are depicted, African Americans were leaving southern states, especially, in large numbers during this period and subsequently. Although the Joads understandably didn't see it that way at that time, population dislocations, due to technological progress or resource exhaustion and resource discoveries is an unfortunate integral part of relatively recent history. This film dramatizes the generally greater adverse effect of such dislocations on the elderly, who have often invested near a lifetime in their dispossessed property and lifestyle, thus are more reluctant to abandon the familiar for a distant unknown, and are more likely to die trying to get there under rather primitive traveling conditions, as dramatized in this film. This particular point is more thoroughly emphasized in the subsequent film "Wild River", in which an elderly woman landowner refuses to leave her lifelong home and plantation, until forced to, even knowing it would soon be drowned by the rising waters behind a new TVA dam. In that case, the woman didn't die of traveling stress. Apparently, she simply willed herself to die, out of depression. She had no desire to start a new life in the TVA-financed alternative property awarded her, in spite of all the immediate and long-term benefits claimed by the TVA rep for the building of that dam.
Instead of looking for work in some city, as many did, the Joads hoped to land some temporary labor jobs in the oversaturated farming lands of CA. They are put off by the primitive living conditions, thuggish guards, lack of work, very low pay, and high cost of basic supplies at the several farms owned privately. Later, they discover the more humane living conditions and friendlier attitude at a federal government-sponsored farm. This is, in effect, a plug for the New Deal projects designed, at least partly, to help alleviate much of the poverty and unemployment. The implication is that well off individuals and companies were only interested in exploiting the downtrodden, not in helping them reestablish decent living conditions. As Tom Joad, Henry Fonda, in articulating his parting ambition to act as a superman, helping the downtrodden, is really articulating some of the general goals of the New Deal and the liberal political agenda. He himself, as an accused murderer on the run and parolee, isn't likely to achieve much of what he claims he wants to do. But well-healed responsive governments could help the downtrodden in their fights against exploiting capitalists. That is the main message. Of course, in reality, this is an oversimplification. By developing new technologies and discovering new resources, private individuals and companies potentially gradually improve the living standards of their workers and consumers, with a degree of competition generally a positive influence.
A few years before, Fonda had starred in "You Only Live Once", in which his character is paroled from a prison term for some youthful robberies, with the help of his acquired girlfriend. But, potential employers are put off by his status as a parolee, hence he can't keep a decent job, then is soon judged guilty of a large bank robbery he had nothing to do with.. Later, he accidentally kills a man during a prison break just before his scheduled execution, engineered by his girlfriend. They are later gunned down in an ambush near the Canadian border. Rather reminiscent of the historical Bonnie and Clyde, of the times. In all, a pessimistic comment on the refusal of society to ignore the past transgressions of people, especially poor people, in giving them a real opportunity to make amends. This film was made during the depths of the depression, whereas the present film, with its more optimistic ending, was made as the US was beginning to pull out of the depression, with the beginnings of producing materials relating to WWII.
Jane Darwell, who plays Ma Joad, played an important role in the prior "Ramona", which also included Russel Simpson(Pa Joad), and John Carridine(Casy, in the present film). The plot of this film has some strong resemblances to that of the present film. but, the victims of forced evacuation of their homes and fields are Christianized California Indians, soon after CA had been wrested by the US from Mexico. Like the Joads, they packed up their minimal belongings and traveled to some unknown destination. Unlike the other, hostile, Americans, Jane's character was friendly and accommodating to these Christianized Indians. Near the end, she gives a lengthy encouraging speech, with a gist similar to her optimistic speech at the end of the present film. Thus, Jane's character is presented as sort of equivalent to the federally-sponsored farm in the present film. In contrast to the present film, "Ramona" was filmed in 3-strip Technicolor. B&W was probably a better choice for the present film.
Another relevant film: "Sullivan's Travels"('41) explores the largely urban dispossessed during The Depression, and their prejudicial treatment by the legal and penal systems.....Of course, Ford soon followed the present film with the plight-of the-mining community tear jerker "How Green Was My Valley". Ford liked to champion the underdog, and the discriminated minorities, of which he, as an Irish Catholic, was one.