THE GRAPES OF WRATH

US, 1940, 128 minutes, Black and White.
Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Charley Grapewin. Directed by John Ford.

The Grapes of wrath is one of the finer adaptations of a John Steinbeck novel. Made by John Ford and acclaimed in 1960, it was a visual presentation of contemporary American history. It is important to realise that it portrays the period in which it was made. It seems very much like American history now. Beautifully photographed in black and white, the film shows the hardship of the dust-bowls of central America as well as the hardships of the families trying to migrate to California with their dreams.

Henry Fonda is at his best in the central role. Jane Darwell, who was impressive in such films as The Oxbow Incident, won the Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for her performance. Ford made many fine films at the time, e.g. The Long Voyage Home and How Green Was My Valley. Other adaptations of Steinbeck novels have included Kazan's East of Eden, the various versions of The Red Pony, Tortilla Flat and so on. An interesting comparison of film-making about this era is the biography of Woody Guthrie, Bound for Glory, by Hal Ashby (1976). The Grapes of Wrath is considered a film classic.

1. The value of this film, its status over the decades, its awards, social criticism, place in John Ford's work?

2. The reputation of John Steinbeck, his literature, his status, his awareness of social issues, reflection of America in the 30s? The impact of Steinbeck, Ford, and the film in the early 40s, after the Depression, the beginning of World War II? Impact now?

3. How valuable a piece of Americana is the film? As embodying the 30s, attitudes of the early 40s, now, comparisons?

4. The impact and quality of the black and white photography and the music? The importance of light and shadow, close-ups, locations, studio work? A feel for the times?

5. Audience involvement in the structure of the film: identification with Tom Joad and participating in his journey and quest, the never-ending quest?

6. Henry Fonda's portrayal of Tom - it is considered the archetypal American performance. Does the film justify this? His presence, presentation of himself, coming out of jail, our journeying into Oklahoma with him? The explanation of his background, the conversation with the lorry driver and Tom's attitudes? His strengths of character, the ordinary American type, the situation for which he went to jail? His attitudes towards the death?

7. The importance of the initial encounter with Casey? The value of Casey's story, Tom's remembering when he was a preacher, the sermons? Casey as feeling lost, the spirit gone from him? Trying to get a meaning in his life, travelling one way and another? A man lost in orientation in the 30s? The importance of his going on with Tom, their experiences together, to death?

8. Euly: his sudden appearance in the deserted house, the importance of the flashbacks shown during his conversation, the close-up of Euly's face and sense of desperation and almost madness, his appreciation and evaluation of what had happened? The brief story of the company's taking over, evicting the families from their land, bulldozing the homes and the ruthlessness of this? The comments of the driver who said that he had to earn his living? The superintendents and their supervision and harsh application of the law? Audience feeling and sense of injustice?

9. The portrayal of hardship, the question of who was to blame, the businessmen in their cars acting as agents, the cruelty of the eviction, the destruction of homes? How much of a spirit of anger was there? Themes of justice, the mystery in the minds of the people who were experiencing this?

10. The Joad family presented within this atmosphere, their sitting at the meal, the introduction of the various characters of Grandpa and Grandma, Pa and Ma, Rose of Sharon, Uncle John? How well did the screenplay and the director introduce each character and characterise them? Tom and his return home and the atmosphere of feeling, welcome?

11. The impact of the journey and the travel through Oklahoma, the collage of the various places through which they moved, the home that they were leaving? The terrain, the sense of a huge journey, the endurance and the suffering, the amount of money they had, food? The importance of the sequence in the cafe? The people that they met, the police?

12. The pathos of Grandpa's death? The symbolism of this, of moving away from how and dying? Grandma's reaction? The human sentiment portrayed and audience response to this within the plight of the Joads?

13. Hints of trouble with the arrival in the rest camp, the explanation of apprehension, the testing of courage and endurance to go on? The Arizona boundaries?

14. The impact of their arriving at California, pushing the truck up the hill, a symbol of their final effort, the sudden vision of the peacefulness and the valleys of California? The difficulties of getting through the border, ma and her shrewdness in appealing to Grandma's illness? The irony that Grandma was dead? Comment on the kindly people that they met helping the people from Oklahoma move through: the inspectors and their allowing the truck to go without being examined, the waitress at the cafe and her initial hostility, the bread, the sweets, her boss, the lorry driver's paying for it? The comment of the garage attendants and their belief about the low quality of the way of life of the people from Oklahoma?

15. The presentation of the transit camps, the exploiting of the men, the agents without authorization, the deals, the fights, the agitators and the violence ensuing, the hungry children watching ma prepare the meal for the family and their starvation? Agitation and shooting? Casey pretending to be the villain as Tom escaped? His going off to prison?

16. Casey with his glint of madness going off with the police, Tom finding him with the strikers, his expressing the cause of justice, opening Torn's eyes, the pathos of his death? The irony of Tom's being to blame and being marked with the bruises and cuts on his face?

17. The pathos of wandering the countryside, searching for work, the man who advised them and said that Spencer sent them? The arrival in the camp, the people lined up, the people allowed to go in, the harshness, the food and some kind of hope, the buckets and the low rates for the fruit, the supervisors and their brutality, Tom not allowed to go for a walk? The discussion about cents and other workers coming in? The fights? The decision for the family to get out and the tension as they moved, concealing Tom?

18. The audience sharing the surprise of the family as they arrived at the government camp? The friendship, the camp superintendent, Ma being treated with dignity? The possibility of some work? The water, the facilities, the children seeing the shower? The hostility of the locals and the agitators? The set-up for the riot and the shrewdness of the group in being able to overcome it? The possibility of happiness?

19. The irony of Tom continuing to be pursued? His having to go? The dramatic significance of his final speech to Ma? its content, the American hope, dream, rights? His going off into the unknown future?

20. The possibility of the family settling down? Ma and Pa and what they had been through, the change of home, the loss of spirit, Pa losing heart, Uncle John, Eddie? Rose of Sharon and the baby and her having been abandoned? The children (How strongly were they delineated at each stage of the journey and the audience identifying with all of these characters?)

21. A strong American document about its social history and social justice?