Watched John Ford's 1940 Drama "The Grapes Of Wrath"

"Sure don't look none too prosperous."
--Tom Joad as played by Henry Fonda in The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath is a 1940 film based on the John Steinbeck novel of the same name about a family that leaves their Dust Bowl destroyed farm land in Oklahoma during the Great Depression to seek a better life in California. It's directed by John Ford and is #23 on the AFI 100.

Henry Fonda plays Tom Joad who is just released from prison on parole and arrives at his family's farm to find it deserted.


Their path to an improved life out West proves to be a difficult one filled with obstacle after obstacle. Tom wants to protect his family, especially his mother, the matriarch of the family, played by Jane Darwell.


The story revolves around family, sticking together, and surviving in the very harsh realities of this period of American history. It is a well constructed film and an incredible story. I personally love stories like this. They capture a part of our country through a small subset of the population and show us a part of our culture that we cannot experience.

I think that's why I've really grown to appreciate some of these great pieces of cinema. Every film I watch is not only a glimpse into the evolution of moviemaking, but it's also a picture of the political and social environment of the world.

Related Items:
The Grapes of Wrath (The Ford at Fox Collection)
The Grapes of Wrath

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