The Grapes of Wrath

directed by John Ford
List(s):"Movie Two"
Category: "Drama"
Year of Release:1940
Date Added:02/05/2015
Date Watched:10/07/2024
Description:Tom Joad (Henry Fonda) gets home to his family's Oklahoma farm just in time to see them kicked off the land and about to set out California where they hear there's work. They pick up disillusioned preacher Casy (John Carradine). The movie covers their trip out as various members of the family die or ditch. In California, they struggle to find work. Casy joins a group of strikers protesting poor pay. When cops kill him, Tom kills a cop and becomes wanted. The family finds a decent camp to stay in, but Tom has to set off on his own to become the conscience of the nation as he fights for the poor. The family heads for a job that promises to pay for the next 20 days.
My Rating:4

Reviews for The Grapes of Wrath

Review - Grapes of Wrath, The

Take the actual hardship suffered by some farmers during the Depression, mix in some liberal politics in the form of evil law officers and land owners vs. the righteous poor, add several pompous speeches by uneducated poor who somehow are able to eloquently speechify on what's wrong with the country, and finish up with zero character development so that you can't bring yourself to care what happens to the Joads. I decided to watch it because it it's considered a classic, but the schmaltz was so thick you couldn't cut it with a chisel.

Reviewed by Roger on 2024-10-07 18:31:49

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