851222 Greetings from Lithuania."The Grapes of Wrath" (1940) is a one powerful and heartbreaking movie. It tells a very simple story but does this in a great way. Its been a long time since i felt true sorry for people shown in this movie or more specific life that they had to endure during the time. The craftsmanship of this movie is great - directing (amazing pacing for whole 2 h 8 min), involving and realistic writing as well as great acting. Best performance in this movie was hand down by Jane Darwell who played Ma. She glues the family together in its hardest time - literally i could seen my mom in her - this is a wonderful performance of a wonderful human. Overall, "The Grapes of Wrath" left me heartbroken many times during its time. The most saddest things for me when watching a movie isn't when somebody cries - but its when a life tries to knock good and hard working people down on its knee. "The Grapes of Wrath" is a great movie.

LeonLouisRicci Arguably Director John Ford's Greatest Film, although some might say "The Searchers" (1956) or "My Darling Clementine" (1946).But there is No Doubt that this Film Resonates and Captivates with its Story of the Depression's Devastating Effect on a "Salt of the Earth" Sharecropper Family with Multi-Generational Roots Planted in the Now Fallow "Dust Bowl".Along with the Personal Hardships the Movie makes much of the Social Separation and Income Inequality of the Time.There are the Compassion-Less Bankers and Their Minions of Law Enforcement and "Tin Badge" Thugs. Socialism/Communism was seen as an Alternative to the Punishing Poverty and Vanishing Opportunities by some and a Threat to Capitalism by the Capitalists.This is a Solid Background to the Story but Not the Backbone. The Skeletal Structure of the Movie, from John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize Winning Novel, is the Joad Family.Impeccably Acted by Henry Fonda (Tom Joad), Ma (Jane Darwell), and X-Preacher Casey (John Carradine), with Support from Charlie Grapewin (Grandpa), and John Qualen (Muley). The Remainder of the Strong Ensemble of Acting all do Excellent Work and the overall Verisimilitude of the Film is Striking.Gregg Toland's Haunting and Beautiful Cinematography Captures the Mood of Melancholy and the Film as a Whole is Widely Considered one of the Great Films.Some Film-Scholars even Rank it "The Greatest". This of course is Obviously Objective, but suffice to say it is always a Contender when the Category of "Best" or "Greatest" arises. This is a Futile Exercise, but Fun.Powerful, Unforgettable, and Ultimately a Cinematic Experience so Profound with its Realistic Dramatics that the Viewer is Likely to Feel attached to the Story and can Claim to have a "Little Piece" of a Big Picture.

Matthew_Capitano Pretty good film, but awfully slow-moving at times. Honestly simple as a bowl of grapes, but even that can become wretchedly mundane.Tom Joad (Hank Fonda) is ultimately a general pain in the butt. He just can't avoid mischief earning him the right to be arrested and thrown in the clink just to get him out of everybody's hair -- and I wished that would have happened. As it was, he continued to screw up despite the constant pleas of his Mom to stay out of trouble.John Carradine (my all-time favorite actor) delivers a fine performance as an ex-preacher. The film is basically well directed by John Ford, but once the Joads arrive at the 'sanitary unit' camp, the movie is, for all intents and purposes, by that time, over. There just aren't any surprises left. Fonda's final "I'll be there" speech is over-rated.Worth tuning in for Ford's direction and Carradine's acting.

sarwarzoheb49 talking about the great depression of 30s, this film depicted the real acting,the real story of social stigma of that time.the natural, serene acting of the movie stars was not simply fantabulous, it was really indomitable.the dialogues near the ending of the movie between a mother and his son was so vivacious that it delineated a latent power of human being to overcome the arduous sufferings.