FILM CHALLENGE: 07) The Grapes Of Wrath

07) The Grapes Of Wrath

Directed by John Ford

Released in 1940

There are some films that I just can't understand why people call classics. 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of them; it's not a terrible movie by any means but I find it very pretentious and difficult to return to. 8 and 1/2 is another as I turned it off after an hour feeling drained and uninterested. Having just finished John Ford's 1940 drama The Grapes Of Wrath, it seems that I have found another to add to the list.

Don't get me wrong, there is a lot that I liked about the film. Having studied lots about the Wall Street crash and the depression era that followed, I can appreciate just how authentic the movie is. Moreover, Henry Fonda and the entire cast give very admirable performances, Ford's direction is amazing, almost every character has their own personality and the photography is fantastic. But my main issue with The Grapes Of Wrath is that there's a huge gap between the 30 minute mark and the 1:15 mark where neither the characters nor the plot develop. Therefore, most of the 2nd act of the film, in my mind, is fairly redundant.

At first, we are introduced to our main character who has been paroled from prison after committing murder and returns home to his family. Upon arriving he learns that their land has been taken and their only hope is to travel west to California and find a job picking fruit. They remain strong-willed and optimistic as they embark on their journey and let nothing stand in their way. However, that's about as deep as the story goes for the next 45 minutes. After that, the characters seem to simply plod along without undergoing any changes. Even Fonda's character, who promises to become more human and more fascinating in the beginning, seems to take a supporting role throughout the middle section. Sure, the film picks up again in the third act but by that point I'd almost lost interest in the characters situations feeling neither engrossed or moved by their journey.

Maybe it's one of those films I'll revisit in years to come and discover how great it is. Or maybe it was better in its time than it is nowadays. However, I can't say I was thrilled by The Grapes Of Wrath despite its great start. Having said that though, it's still better than a lot of movies that are out there, so my score is:

3/5

By Daniel Sarath with 1 comment