The Grapes of Wrath
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Film Analysis – The Grapes of Wrath
The film The Grapes of Wrath uses “realistic black and white cinematography to temper its sentiment and provide a documentary quality” that helps it achieve the excellence that qualifies it as a classic. It was directed by John Ford, based on the novel published by John Steinbeck in 1939, but the actual movie was released in 1940. Steinbecks novel expressed the nations wrath towards the Depression that was going on during that time period. The Grapes of Wrath tells the story of a family that faced struggles from the forces of nature and mechanization. John Ford uses both the Great Depression and the existing social issues during that time period as a background for the development of themes throughout the film. The main theme was the battle for families to survive while keeping their dignity in society. The movie is based on the life of Tom Joad (played by Henry Fonda) after he returns home from being sentenced to jail. The film goes through Tom and his familys life during the Great Depression in Oklahoma. Due to natural disasters, Oklahoma farms were destroyed and families were ruined economically. Modern technologies were introduced which caused the already poor families to lose their lands due to not being able to adapt to the new technologies. Toms family decides to move to California in search of a better life. During their journey to California, Toms grandfather who was already depressed from having to leave the farm dies from a stroke. Toms mother explains to him on multiple occasions that he had to stay strong so as to be able to keep the family together. On getting to California, his grandmother dies. They realize that the effects of the Great Depression had spread to neighboring states. Wages were very low, and work was hard to find because everyone was in search for the same jobs. They continue to live from camp to camp in search of work. Toms friend Casey is a leader of the strikers who rebel against the unfair labor practices by land owners. Later, Casey is killed by an authority and in revenge, Tom kills Caseys killer and becomes a fugitive. He soon finds a good camp for his family to stay and decides to leave them so that his potential fate of death or jail will not affect them. His mother is heartbroken but wishes Tom farewell. Soon after, his family moved again.
The Great Depression was “an economic slump” in North America, Europe and other areas of the world that lasted for about ten years. It was the longest and most severe depression that the industrialized Western world was forced to experience. It began with a crash in the stock market then spread throughout the economy. Famers were making more than they could sell because nobody had money to spend on food. This sent them to poverty and bankruptcy and they began losing their lands. An unknown author describes The Grapes of Wrath as a film based off “a fictional account of current events, the work expressed outrage” that occurred during the period of the Great Depression. Historian Alan Brinkley notes that “to modern readers and viewers The Grapes of Wrath, in all its versions, had become an unusually vivid historical document: a portrait of a portion of American society in the Great Depression and of a political sensibility that continues to resonate…” The film illustrates the social themes like migration, despair and poverty which had a huge effect on the lives of individuals in society during the Great Depression. As the economy changed, peoples lives were forced to change. Wealthy farmers lost their assets and were pushed into despair and poverty. Many families were forced to migrate to neighboring