A harrowing film with a timeless impact

Rating: 8/10 (26 January 2012)

It's amazing how hopeless and bleak a film from the golden age of Hollywood can be. Films from this era always seem to be overzealous and excessively joyous. They have that electrifying Hollywood feel to them. Not The Grapes of Wrath however. This is a film that gives the world a reality check and tells a story dealing with the darker and more troubling side of life. It tells the story of an impoverished family moving from the Oklahoma Dust Bowl to California in hopes of finding work. However, the difficult trip takes its toll on them and when they arrive to find significantly less work than they hoped for things become even more difficult. It is the harrowing story of struggle and survival, as well as overcoming adversity with love and family, two themes that drive this film. It's an epic production to watch unfold, and it will leave you feeling so lost, so empty, and yet so amazed.
It might not seem like it, but this really was what pushing the enveloped in 1940's Hollywood. To tell a story this challenging and this difficult to absorb was something rarely seen in this glimmering time period of cinema. Yet, it really gave way to revealing the impact that dark cinema can have on an audience. The bleakness of the film is what makes it absolutely gripping and endlessly compelling. It is such a harrowing story and one that constantly makes us want to know what is coming next. It strikes all the right emotional chords and plays out to be a magnificent experience. Add in incredible performances, a compelling script, and John Ford's direction and darkly moving cinematography and you've got yourself a true work of genius.
By today's standards The Grapes of Wrath doesn't seem all that depressing or difficult to watch, but if you look at in context you realize the impact of the film. This is why I give this film so much praise for being a true pioneer film in the ever changing world of cinema. The Grapes of Wrath isn't fantastic enough to compel me to call in one of my personal favorites, but I have undying respect for it's quality and the important mark it left on Hollywood.