The Grapes of Wrath

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Ranking No. 21 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest American films, this 1940 classic is a bit dated in its noble sentimentality, but it remains a luminous example of Hollywood classicism from the peerless director of mythic Americana, John Ford. Adapted by Nunnally Johnson from John Steinbeck's classic novel, the film tells a simple story about Oklahoma farmers leaving the depression-era dustbowl for the promised land of California, but it's the story's emotional resonance and theme of human perseverance that makes the movie so richly and timelessly rewarding. It's all about the humble Joad family's cross-country trek to escape the economic devastation of their ruined farmland, beginning when Tom Joad (Henry Fonda) returns from a four-year prison term to discover that his family home is empty. He's reunited with his family just as they're setting out for the westbound journey, and thus begins an odyssey of saddening losses and strengthening hopes. As Ma Joad, Oscar-winner Jane Darwell is the embodiment of one of America's greatest social tragedies and the "Okie" spirit of pressing forward against all odds (as she says, "because we're the people"). A documentary-styled production for which Ford and cinematographer Gregg Toland demanded painstaking authenticity, The Grapes of Wrath is much more than a classy, old-fashioned history lesson. With dialogue and scenes that rank among the most moving and memorable ever filmed, it's a classic among classics--simply put, one of the finest films ever made. --Jeff Shannon

Description

This remarkable film version of Steinbeck?s novel was nominated for seven Academy Awards®, including for Best Picture, Actor (Henry Fonda), Film Editing, Sound and Writing. John Ford won the Best Director Oscar® and actress Jane Darwell won Best Actress for her portrayal of Ma Joad, the matriarch of the struggling migrant farmer family. Following a prison term he served for manslaughter, Tom Joad returns to find his family homestead overwhelmed by weather and the greed of the banking industry. With little work potential on the horizon of the Oklahoma dust bowls, the entire family packs up and heads for the promised land ? California. But the arduous trip and harsh living conditions they encounter offer little hope, and family unity proves as daunting a challenge as any other they face.

Customer Reviews:

The Grapes Of Wrath.......2007-08-31

This is one of the greatest film classics of all time.definitely a must see for all film students, actors, directors, cinephotogrphers

Unsure.......2007-08-23

The recording is exactly what I needed, but I am unsure if this is a legal copy of a copyrighted work.

An Important Film to Watch - Then Read the Book.......2007-08-22

We all know the Depression was awful. There were people starving, families collapsing. It's hard to really get a sense of just how powerful it was, though. John Steinbeck's articles and books on the topic led to this award winning (AFI #21) movie by John Ford. What's ironic is that some people felt the movie was too extremist about the conditions - but research has shown that it actually was tame compared to situations that really went on.

We begin with a family in Oklahoma who is literally kicked out of their home, with nowhere to go. Flyers are being passed around about a ton of work being available in California. So they pile their entire household of goods and head out. Unfortunately, so does pretty much every starving person - and California is innundated with workers. The Okies are treated poorly, given dirt poor wages and run out of town.

It's amazing that the books are banned in schools - especially in the midwest! I definitely recommend watching this movie as an important history lesson about what our ancestors struggled through - and a reminder not to let this happen again. Once you get started with the movie, pick up the books to get an even more full story.

Steinbeck's Story Faithfully Filmed.......2007-08-15

I don't recall how old I was when I first saw the film version of "The Grapes of Wrath," John Steinbeck's novel of the desperate plight of the "Okies" during the Dust Bowl era -- I know I'd read the book after graduating high school and before entering college -- but on second viewing, I was impressed by how closely the film followed the book. Certainly, a fully realized cinematic treatment would have overtaxed Hollywood budgets and the average moviegoer of 1940, and the novel's final scene would never have been okayed by the censors, but the overall emotional pull of the film is about as close to that of the book in a way that few literature-as-film productions ever are. (Of recent note in this respect are Peter Jackson's fine films of J. R. R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy --although I still haven't forgiven him for leaving out Tom Bombadil.) Of course, the genius lay in the casting of Henry Fonda as Tom Joad, though to be honest, none of the casting choices were faulty. I'm teaching the novel for the first time for a literature class this semester, and I would be quite comfortable allowing non-readers to substitute viewing this film in place of reading the entire book. I can think of no better tribute to a first-rate movie than that.

A Real Movie............2007-08-12

I think the Hollywood of today has forgotten how to make movies, they should look at classic films of yesterday like this one to know what "real movie making"is all about. This is a faithful translation of the John Steinbeck novel that looked at how the dust storms that hit the mid-west in the 1930's, caused many farmers to try and seek out a new living in California, in the center of all this is Henry Fonda's intelligent performance of a man who is trying to help his parents keep the whole family together as they search for and hopefully find a new life together.

Average customer rating:

A sticky bundle
Studio Classics - That's Entertainment
A good collection of movies from 1937-1969
What is this?

Studio Classics Collection Boxed Set
Starring: Audrey Hepburn , Tyrone Power , Bette Davis , Maureen O'Hara , and Walter Pidgeon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000MCH7G6
Release Date: 2007-03-01

Amazon.com

This 40-Disc Collection includes some of the best in classic film, including 15 films nominated by the Academy of Arts and Sciences for Best Picture of the Year. This is a must-have in any classic film lover's library.

Customer Reviews:

A sticky bundle.......2007-08-14

This is a great value for some very good films indeed (about $6 per film at Amazon's discount). However, as one of the other reviewers noted, this is a bundle, not a proper collection. That means that all 40 films are separately wrapped with Fox's infuriating security stickers that do not come off cleanly. After spending an hour removing the stickers, you can expect to find DVD cases sticking together because of all the adhesive residue. Tacky in both the literal and figurative senses!

Otherwise a great deal (especially when you consider that most if not all titles include an audio commentary and other special features.)

Studio Classics - That's Entertainment.......2007-07-04

No - Studio Classics are not the great musicals of MGM, but it is a group of great movies from Hollywood. All but four of the movies are Oscar winners in a major category and four best picture winners. You need to like the black and white movies of the late 30's into the 40's and the All-Star color classics of the 50's. Not certain I'd call this a "collection," since it is a pretty eclectic group of movies, but a treasure chest of viewing pleasure for those that can watch a great movie again and again. Bring on the popcorn!

A good collection of movies from 1937-1969.......2007-01-27

The previous reviewer asked an excellent question - Why part with all of that money if you don't even know what films are included? So, I looked it up and here's the list:

In Old Chicago (1937), Nominated Best Picture, won Best Supporting Actress
Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938), Nominated for Best Picture
The Rains Came (1939), Stars Myrna Loy in an OK sentimental disaster film.

The Grapes of Wrath (1940), Nominated Best Picture, in AFI top 100 Films.
The Mark of Zorro (1940), Stars Tyrone Power in title role.
How Green Was My Valley (1941), Won Best Picture
The Black Swan (1942), Tyrone Power & Maureen O'Hara in a pirate film.
Orchestra Wives (1942), Stars Glenn Miller and his band.
The Ox-Bow Incident(1943), Nominated for Best Picture starring Henry Fonda.
The Song of Bernadette (1943), Nominated for Best Picture, won Best Actress.
The Keys of the Kingdom (1944), Gregory Peck nominated for Best Actor
Leave Her to Heaven (1945), Melodrama with Cornell Wilde & Gene Tierney
Anna and the King of Siam (1946), Rex Harrison in non-musical version of "The King and I".
My Darling Clementine (1946), John Ford, who actually knew Wyatt Earp, directs Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp.
The Razor's Edge (1946), nominated for Best Picture.
Gentleman's Agreement (1947), - Won best picture, direction, supporting actress (Celeste Holm).
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), Gene Tierney as a widow plus Rex Harrison as the ghost she falls in love with.
The Snake Pit (1948), Nominated for best picture, stars Olivia DeHaviland as a mental patient.
A Letter to Three Wives (1949), nominated for Best Picture. 1 of 3 husbands has left his wife - but which one?

All About Eve (1950), Won Best Picture, helped revive Bette Davis' career
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), A terrific early sci-fi film
Titanic (1953), stars Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck as a feuding couple aboard the doomed ship.
Three Coins in the Fountain (1954), Nominated best picture
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955), Nominated best picture
Anastasia (1956), Ingrid Bergman won Best Actress as the amnesiac heiress to the Russian throne.
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956), Gregory Peck as a businessman trying to balance his career and home life.
An Affair to Remember (1957), Cary Grant & Deborah Kerr in a great romance
Desk Set (1957), One of Tracy & Hepburn's better films.
The Three Faces of Eve (1957), Best Actress award for Joanne Woodward as a woman with three personalities.
Peyton Place (1957),classic melodrama and Nominated Best Picture
The River's Edge (1957, An OK Western/film noir combo.
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958),stars Ingrid Bergman as a missionary in China.
The Best of Everything (1959), 1950's view of the world of secretaries. Joan Crawford as an evil boss.
The Diary of Anne Frank (1959), Nominated Best Picture, won 3 others.

Return to Peyton Place (1961), a mediocre sequel to the original.
Zorba the Greek (1964), Nominated Best Picture, stars Anthony Quinn.
Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), Bette Davis in a great bizarre tale.
How to Steal a Million (1966), classic 60's comedy with Peter O'Toole & Audrey Hepburn.
Two for the Road (1967), Nominated for best screenplay, great love story told in flashbacks.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), Best Actress for Maggie Smith as a schoolteacher with unconventional ideas.

All in all, this is a good collection of 40 critically acclaimed and award-winning films from the years 1937-1969 that continue to be popular. They encompass all genres, and I count only two real clunkers among them - "Return to Peyton Place" and "The Rains Came". There are a lot of Academy Award winners among them - and I'm not talking just Best Song or Best Cinematography either. I counted 15 nominations for best picture, and a few actually won the top award. With the price heavily discounted as it is, it works out to six dollars per classic movie, which is a pretty good deal.

My impression is that this is just a DVD bundle, not a collector's edition of any kind. Thus I would not anticipate any extras other than those that are already on the included individual DVD's containing the movies themselves.

What is this?.......2007-01-20

You would think for five hundred and fifty five dollars there would at least be a list of the movies included!!

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Great Books: The Grapes of Wrath

Manufacturer: Discovery Education
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Educational | Genres | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000OIP0OO
Release Date: 2006-03-28

The Grapes of Wrath - Seems Like Fate: The Videos

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The Grapes of Wrath - Seems Like Fate: The Videos
Starring: The Grapes of Wrath
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00005YLRW
Release Date: 2002-01-22

The Grapes of Wrath (1940. Region 2. Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine)

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The Grapes of Wrath (1940. Region 2. Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine)
Director: John Ford
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000VJNXV8

DVD:

DVD

DVD