Chapter 10: Deliverance Part II
THE GRAPES OF WRATH, the movie, directed by John Ford, 1940
In our last class, we again review The Grapes of Wrath, this time from the perspective of the movie version of the acclaimed novel. See what differences you can detect in the tone and emphasis in the movie as compared to the novel. Think about how "We the People" includes survivalists and idealists. During class time, in addition to our usual discussions, you will each have the opportunity to share your thoughts including what stood out for you during the entire semester.
https://archive.org/details/the-grapes-of-wrath-1940
You can watch the Internet Archive (CLICK ON LINK: you'll have to be patient because your first attempt might not start the film. After all, the film is buried in the depths of an archive and needs to "wake up.") original movie version of The Grapes of Wrath (not heavily edited as in the Amazon edition.)
The 1940 film rendition of Steinbeck's novel, starring Henry Fonda, is well-acted and was much appreciated in its day. Please do not fall into the trap of using modern standards for assessing the film as you enter the mindset of viewers coming out of the Great Depression. Remember that viewers in 1940 had variably experienced uncertainty and bewilderment; a sense of helplessness and outrage. They were on the lookout for a fabled better place to live and yearned for demonstrations of empathy and kindness. They were drawn to a film bringing to life a spirit of bravery, fortitude, perseverance, and hope. The timing of the film was perfect. Anyone who read the newspaper, went to the movies, or listened to the radio knew that the world outside the United States was falling apart.
Think about the grit the characters possessed on the eve of WWII.
Differences from the novel (Wikipedia)
The first part of the film follows the book fairly closely. However, the second half and the ending in particular are significantly different from the book. While the book ends with the downfall and break-up of the Joad family, the film switches the order of sequences so that the family ends up in a "good" camp provided by the government, and things turn out relatively well for them.
In the novel, Rose-of-Sharon ("Rosasharn") Rivers gives birth to a stillborn baby. Later, she offers her milk-filled breasts to a starving man, dying in a barn. These scenes were not included in the film.
While the film is somewhat stark, it has a more optimistic and hopeful view than the novel, especially when the Joads land at the Department of Agriculture camp – the clean camp. Also, the producers decided to tone down Steinbeck's political references, such as eliminating a monologue using a land owner's description of "reds" as anybody "that wants thirty cents an hour when we're payin' twenty-five," to show that under the prevalent conditions that definition applies to every migrant worker looking for better wages.
The film emphasizes Ma Joad's pragmatic, forward-looking way of dealing with their situation despite Tom's departure, as it concludes with her spiritual "We're the people" speech.
Ivy and Sairy Wilson, who attend to Grandpa's death and travel with the Joads until they reach California, are left out of the movie entirely. Noah's departure from the family is passed over in the movie. Instead, he simply disappears without explanation. In the book, Floyd tells Tom about how the workers were being exploited, but in the movie he does not appear until after the deputy arrives in Hooverville. Sandry, the religious fanatic who scares Rose-of-Sharon, is left out of the movie.
Movie critic Vivian Sobchack argued that the film uses visual imagery to focus on the Joads as a family unit, whereas the novel focuses on their journey as a part of the "family of man". She points out that their farm is never shown in detail, and that the family members are never shown working in agriculture; not a single peach is shown in the entire film. This subtly serves to focus the film on the specific family, as opposed to the novel's focus on man and land together.
In the film, most of the Joad family members are either reduced to background characters – in the case of Al, Noah, and Uncle John – or to being the focus of only one or two relatively minor scenes – like Rose-of-Sharon and Connie. Instead, the film is largely concerned with Tom, Ma, and (to a lesser extent) Jim Casy. Thus, despite the film's focus on the Joads as a specific family rather than a part of the "family of man", the movie explores very little of the members of the family itself.