The Grapes of Wrath (1940) - John Ford
When I heard that Orson Wells's 'Citizen Kane' (the best film ever made) lost the best picture academy award to John Ford's 'How Green was my Valley', rather than blaming the Academy, I developed a dislike to John Ford, without even watching How Green was my Valley. When I watched that film, I felt bad about my thinking and ignorance. Legendry film. Still I liked Citizen Kane better, but HGWMW is no way inferior. Need to write about this film later. But I wanted to watch few more of John Ford's as I liked his way of narration.
So I ended up watching 'The Grapes of Wrath' in 2006, and bowled over by the movie, but somehow I did not get another chance to watch the movie. Luckily I got the DVD yesterday and glued onto it last night. A memorable experience. Excellently written. The story also resembles some of our old indian history/culture too.
I was totally into Ma Joad's family one among them. Much to learn from this movie; On very acute circumstances, how the family is united and how to take it positively and move on. 'Jane Darewell' as Ma Joad with an outstanding performance (won her best supporting actress academy). That too again she won against another outstanding performance by Judith Anderson of Rebecca (my favorite). But Jane Darewell is too far ahead. I certainly can relate her to my grandmother, when I was a kid.
Henry Fonda as Tom Joad is another excellent actor. Fonda's few emotional moments with her mother, could not hide my tears. The dialogues of this movie are beautiful and powerful. Good to see everyone calling 'Ma' and 'Pa' rather than frustrating Mom and Dad. America was good at that time:-)
Ma: Tommy, ain't ya gonna tell me goodbye?
Tom: I didn't know, Ma. I didn't know if I ought to...Come outside. There was some cops here tonight. They was takin' down license numbers. I guess somebody knows somethin'.
Ma: I guess it had to come, sooner or later.
Tom: I'd like to stay, Ma. I'd like to be with ya and see your face when Pa gets settled in some nice place. I'd sure like to see ya then. But I won't never get that chance, I guess, now.
Ma: I would hide ya, Tommy.
Tom: I know you would, Ma, but I ain't gonna let ya. Ya hide somebody that's killed a guy and you're in trouble too.
Ma: All right, Tommy, but what do ya figur you're gonna do?
Tom: You know what I've been thinkin' about? About Casy, about what he said, about what he done, about how he died. I remember all of it.
Ma: He was a good man.
Tom: I've been thinkin' about us too. About our people livin' like pigs and good rich land layin' fallow. Well, maybe one guy with a million acres and a hundred thousand farmers starvin', and I've been wonderin' if all our folks got together and yelled...
Ma: Oh, Tommy. They'd drag you out and cut ya down just like they done to Casy.
Tom: They're gonna drive me anyways. Sooner or later, they'd get me for one thing if not for another. Till then...
Ma: Tommy, you're not aimin' to kill nobody?
Tom: No, Ma, not that. It's just, well, as long as I'm an outlaw anyways, maybe I can do somethin'. Maybe I can just find out somethin', just scrounge around and maybe find out what it is that's wrong and see if ain't somethin' can be done about it. I ain't thought it all out clear in my mind, I can't. I don't know enough.
Ma: How am I gonna know about ya, Tommy? Why, they could kill ya and I'd never know. They could hurt ya. How am I gonna know?
Tom's reply, best in the film and very emotional.
I'll be all around in the dark. I'll be every-where - wherever you can look. Wherever there's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there.
Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there.
I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad -
I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry an' they know supper's ready. An' when the people are eatin' the stuff they raise, and livin' in the houses they build - I'll be there, too.
The last conversation between Ma Joad and Pa. It's beautiful that Pa Joad calls her wife as 'Ma' and Ma calls him 'Pa'. Reminds me of our own.
This dialogue best ever about woman.
Pa: You're the one that keeps us goin', Ma. I ain't no good no more, and I know it. Seems like I spend all my time these days thinkin' how it used to be. Thinkin' of home. I ain't never gonna see it no more.
Ma: Well, Pa. A woman can change better'n a man. A man lives, sorta, well, in jerks. Baby's born and somebody dies, and that's a jerk. He gets a farm or loses it, and that's a jerk. With a woman, it's all in one flow like a stream. Little eddies and waterfalls, but the river it goes right on. A woman looks at it that way.
Pa: Well, maybe, but we sure taken a beatin'.
Ma: I know. That's what makes us tough. Rich fellas come up an' they die an' their kids ain't no good, an' they die out. But we keep a-comin'. We're the people that live. They can't wipe us out. They can't lick us. And we'll go on forever, Pa... 'cause... we're the people.
Still the film and the whole cast is hovering in me.
John Ford has been inspiration even for Orson Wells,Wyler and other legends as well. Winner of most academy awards as director. He will stay with me longer. :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: