The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

The Grapes of Wrath is a haunting look at a displaced family. As I watched it, I kept thinking of those "As long as we're together, we're happy" films. This is not one of them. This family is acutely aware that even if they're all together, they may be in deep trouble. In fact, they may be even worse off because there are so many of them. The poverty, not only physical but spiritual, is almost palpable. The scene where Ma wants so desperately to share their food with the starving children particularly stood out to me. Nobody in this movie has much of anything, and what they do have they cannot afford to give away. I found myself completely caught up and intensely sympathetic to this world and these characters. Henry Fonda's character is especially interesting - more than any of the others, he doesn't *seem* like a character, just like a regular guy. 4 stars.