I've read several John Steinbeck books, but "Grapes of Wrath" wasn't one of them, so thought I'd try out the film form. Especially as I was interested in the place and time (Dust Bowl, Great Depression, migration to California).
Last night I was over 2/3 of the way into the movie (I'm estimating), and they hadn't even gotten to the grape-picking. So I called it a night and will resume tonight.
So far, the movie to me is more educational than entertaining. I'm sure the book is a thousand times better (as they always are), but I found most of the characters -- aside from Henry Fonda's character -- a bit stereotypical. I think the printed page would be a lot better in that the accents/dialects would be toned down. I realize this is a minor point but stereotypical accents/dialects are often a problem with me in old movies.
As to the actual story, this Oklahoma farm family is getting hit at both ends. First, thrown off their farms and land by bankers and big landholders. Then hardship and mistreatment on several fronts on the California end, even before they've started work. Judging by the title, I can guess what happens next.
A bonus for me was seeing all the US 66 (Route 66) signposts. Pretty much matched the song in terms of waypoints.
Last night I was over 2/3 of the way into the movie (I'm estimating), and they hadn't even gotten to the grape-picking. So I called it a night and will resume tonight.
So far, the movie to me is more educational than entertaining. I'm sure the book is a thousand times better (as they always are), but I found most of the characters -- aside from Henry Fonda's character -- a bit stereotypical. I think the printed page would be a lot better in that the accents/dialects would be toned down. I realize this is a minor point but stereotypical accents/dialects are often a problem with me in old movies.
As to the actual story, this Oklahoma farm family is getting hit at both ends. First, thrown off their farms and land by bankers and big landholders. Then hardship and mistreatment on several fronts on the California end, even before they've started work. Judging by the title, I can guess what happens next.
A bonus for me was seeing all the US 66 (Route 66) signposts. Pretty much matched the song in terms of waypoints.
Statistics: Posted by roamingzebra — Sun Dec 08, 2024 10:40 am — Replies 12401 — Views 2329728