The Grapes of Wrath Film Analysis

Film Essay Draft

The Grapes of Wrath Film Analysis
The Grapes of Wrath is a very unique film, which was produced in 1940. Directed by John Ford, the movie is an excellent interpretation of John Steinbeck’s 1939 novel of the same name. The most appealing thing about this film is the great illustration of the tough years the American families were facing and how most of them stayed together to succeed through it all.
The ideological journey of the hero, Tom Joad is portrayed by the great actor Henry Fonda. Fonda does an excellent job at interpreting a good guy who has a revelation about justice. The classic film “The Grapes of Wrath” remains admired by viewers even today due to its timeless theme of family bonding in difficult times, iconic and memorable characters and bitter setting.
The Grapes of Wrath does an outstanding job at portraying the life of a typical American family during The Great Depression. The Great Depression was the deepest and the longest lasting economic crisis in the United States. Many families were losing their properties, due to high unemployment. This is perfectly interpreted in the film when the main characters, the Joads have to move to California because they lost their house due to crop failure. Throughout the film, there is a deep feeling of poverty, which was the main outcome of the Great Depression.
The main characters in this film are powerfully developed through various methods of characterization, each of which contributes to the overall impact of the film and its central theme. The Joad family overall are presented as the good people whereas the government workers are presented as the bad ones. “Tom Joad is one of the great American movie characters, so pure and simple and simply there in the role that he puts it over”(Ebert ).  He is portrayed by Henry Fonda, as a tough man who just got released from jail for committing a murder. Beyond himself, he does show a genuine concern for his own family, and beneath his hard exterior lies a human heart that is capable of kindness. This is clearly expressed when he dictates his life to fighting for justice and equality among the migrant worker community. Another very significant character of this film was Ma Joad interpreted by Jane Darwell. Ma joad is the guiding force behind the family. She devotes herself to protecting the unity of the family and this was clearly seen when she stated, “All we got is the family unbroke” (The Best Notes). Darwell did an incredible job at portraying her character as she “worked in the movies for 50 years, never more memorably than here, where she has the final word ("We'll go on forever, Pa. 'Cause ... we're the people!")” (Ebert). Tom and Ma Joad were the two most outstanding characters of this film.   The setting of The Grapes of Wrath also enhanced John Ford’s central message about family unity. The film does an excellent job at portraying the typical life of a dust bowl family struggling to survive. During the Great Depression many families lost their land because of the bad weather and economic hardships. The opening scene of the movie shows abandoned homes and dust swirling around. This scene conveys to the audience what the landscape looked like. The Joads struggles to get to California shows the many difficulties families faced trying to move and find jobs. The discrimination the Joad family faces, depicts the condition of the migrant workers by giving the audience a presentation of these events. Ford created a perfect world for the audience to believe and to feel like they are part of it.
The primary theme that the Grapes of Wrath conveyed was the family’s determination to stick together through the struggles they were facing. Without each other, the Joads could not deal with the loss of their land or survive the trip to California. Their family unity is the most powerful weapon they have against the cold world that surrounds them. The director also conveyed his message to the audience by showing how much  they sacrificed just to get to a better place. One example of this is when family is crossing the California desert Ma Joad tells the members of the family that the grandma is sleeping when she is really dead. The character of Tom Joad also expresses unity because he wants to keep the family close. For instance when he defends Casie when the officer kills him. He sacrificed his liberty for his friend’s honor and pride. A movie critic states that, “The Grapes Of Wrath is, above all other things, a film about humanity. It’s about the poor and the rich, the willful and the easily defeated” (Thompson). All in all, the main idea of the film is clearly conveyed.
In conclusion, The Grapes of Wrath is a great movie, which conveys a strong message. The film provides a realistic view of the Great Depression. The actors’ enormous talent and the well developed script enhance the filmmaker’s bold message. Overall The Grapes of Wrath depicts the difficult time many American families were facing during the Great Depression. Nobody could have watched the film without understanding its theme and feeling like they were part of the film.




Works Cited
 "Review: The Grapes Of Wrath (1940)." Bills Movie Emporium. 2013. Web. 27 May 2016. The Grapes of Wrath Movie Review (1940) | Roger Ebert. All Content. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2016. The Grapes of Wrath: CHARACTER ANALYSIS / MA JOAD / PA JOAD by John Steinbeck. The Grapes of Wrath: CHARACTER ANALYSIS / MA JOAD / PA JOAD by John Steinbeck. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2016.