Grapes of Wrath (1940)

Maybe there ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue, they’s just what people does. Some things folks do is nice and some ain’t so nice, and that’s all any man’s got a right to say.

The Joad family find themselves trapped, like many other tenant farmers in depression era Oklahoma farmland. They decide to escape their hopeless futures, and the ruthless dust bowl, and head west to California. John Steinbeck’s contemporaneous novel of the hardships experienced by these farmers, known as “Okies”, was brought to life by screenwriter Nunnally Johnson, director John Ford, and strong cast made up of Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, and John Carradine.

Contemporary Storytelling

One of the most compelling aspects of The Grapes of Wrath, is the fact that the novel was written during the subject period and the film was made during the same period. The subject matter was transformed into a film and experienced by those living it, in real time. The realism behind the story must have hit home in a way that would not have been possible had this film come out years later.

Nothing but hardship

The Grapes of Wrath examines the struggles of poverty during the great depression. Not just through a class based lens, but through one of morality. The Joad’s experience an amalgam of hardships that could have been experienced by many, not just in America, but around the world. They wrestle with failing crops, being forced off their land by the landlords, deaths while traveling across the country, discrimination, and other forms of terrorism that exist around their journey.

The film focuses primarily on the hardships experienced by the Joads. However, almost everyone surrounding the family is also trapped in a hopeless world. Those that remain in their hometown, e.g. Muley Graves, are shaken to the point of insanity. Their lives turned upside down, like a rug being pulled out from underneath them. Lost, they stay put and are doomed to whatever unknown future comes for them.

While on the trail out west, The Joads run into others that have already made the journey and now head back home. The, at the time, hopeful Joads are shaken to discover those that preceded them have only been rewarded with hopelessness and tragedy. It is is you are doomed if you stay in the midwest or stay in the west.

The only beacon of light comes in a refuge discovered by the Joads by the end of the film, a portion of the film that differs from the novel. It appears that their respite will be short-lived. For them, it is well deserved and welcomed.

Who are the Joads?

We, of course, get to know Tom, Ma, and Casy, we get a taste for Grandpa and the other family friend, Muley. However, we don’t really get to know the rest of the family members. They are primarily fuel for the primary characters’ struggles and motives. Ma must care for the large group that makes up her clan. Tom must fight for those unable to fight for themselves. Casy must speak for those that don’t have the courage. For them to have a purpose, they need examples around them to illustrate these struggles. For example, the kids struggle to be kids and are often very hungry, Tom’s cousin, Rose of Sharon, deals with a still-born birth after her husband runs out, Grandma and Grandpa die. We never really get to know who anyone is outside of their struggle and determination to go on.

This is not necessarily a problem. We just don’t have the ability to connect with most of the characters that aren’t Tom, Ma, or Casy. Their roles serve their purpose though and provide an excellent backdrop for Fonda, Darwell, and Carradine to put on great performances.

Time Traveling David Carradine

I would be remiss if I did not point out the time travelling David Carradine. There is a scene when the Joads are camped for the night. Connie (Quillan) is playing guitar on the porch, with a man sitting near him in a chair. The man is the spitting image of an older David Carradine, only 4 years old at the time of the film. I have no idea who this guy is, but he is but he might be David Carradine’s real dad.

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Directed by: John Ford

Cinematography: Gregg Toland

Screenplay by: Nunnally Johnson

Based on the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, by: John Steinbeck

Editing By: Robert L. Simpson

Starring: Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Charlie Grapewin, Dorris Bowdon, Eddie Quillan, & Russell Simpson.

Runtime: 2h 9m

Genre: Drama

Distributed by: 20th Century Fox