The Grapes of Wrath (1940): Thematic Emphasis

The Grapes of Wrath (1940): Thematic Emphasis Through Visual Style
Author(s): Vivian C. Sobchack
Source: American Quarterly, Vol. 31, No. 5, Special Issue: Film and American Studies (Winter,
1979), pp. 596-615
Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2712428
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THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940):
THEMATIC EMPHASIS THROUGH
VISUAL STYLE
VIVIAN C. SOBCHACK
Salt Lake City,Utah
SINCE
ITS
RELEASE
IN
1940, THE
FILM
VERSION
OF
THE GRAPES
OF
criticaland popularattenWrathhas attractedenormousand enduring
tion.' Yet, in some ways it has also remaineda neglectedfilm,a film
(JohnFordoutofJohn
parentage
obscuredbytheshadowofitsillustrious
signifintothatbodyofculturally
Steinbeck)andbyitsgenericabsorption
ofandconcernedwithDepressionAmerica.Cericantartrepresentative
tainly,The Grapes of Wrathwas and stillis a highlyvisiblefilm;its
as a "classic" is evidencedby its frequentappearanceon
popularity
televisionseries,at cinemaclub retrospectives,
commercial
prestigious
film,andAmericanStudiesclassroomsacrossthecounandinliterature,
try.In addition,thefilmenjoysa wealthofcriticalconsideration-asan
whichilluminates
adaptationof a workof fiction,as a culturalartifact
andas partofthe
ideologyandmyth,
variousaspectsofpopularAmerican
however,thiswidelyconoeuvreof a majorfilmauteur.Paradoxically,
fromvisual neglect.Examinedfromseveral
sideredfilmhas suffered
criticalperspectives,The Grapes of Wrathhas been morefrequently
lookedintothanlookedat. Its visualsurfaceshavebeenhardlyexplored
as functions
andtonehavebeenrarelyconsidered
andmapped,itstexture
thematicemphasishas been onlyminiand its dominant
of its imagery,
mallyrelatedto itsvisualstyle.
can be linked,of
oversight
The reasonsforthisliteraland figurative
criticaldiscourse.
course,tothemyopiademandedbyfocusedandlimited
ofa
a comparison
forexample,is practicedthrough
criticism,
Adaptation
literandcinematically
howsophisticated
novelandfilm.And,no matter
' JohnFord directedThe Grapes of WrathforTwentiethCentury-Fox.
The Grapes of Wrath
597
toward
tendto gravitate
is, itscomparisons
criticism
ate suchadaptation
whichsupplycommongroundbetween
valuesand structures
theliterary
of
criticis ignorant
theliterature/film
thetwo artforms.Thus,whether
withfilmaesthetics,
ofa film'svisualtextor conversant
thecomplexity
seemsto considera filmlikeTheGrapes
criticism
thebulkofadaptation
whichdictateits
structures
of Wrathalmostsolelyintermsoftheliterary
emphasis.GeorgeBlueand thematic
action,characterization,
narrative
Novels intoFilm and WarrenFrench'smorerecent
stone'sinfluential
Filmguide to The Grapes of Wrathspend the major portionof theirdis-
cussionandanalysisofthefilmdealingwithitsadherencetoordeparture
fromSteinbeck'sparentworkon thebasis of dialogueselection,scene
droppedor synthesized,
deletionsor additions,charactersmaintained,
Whatthe image
of narrativeactivity.2
arrangement
and the structural
of whathappensin it. The
looks like is neglectedfora consideration
Similarly,
to its visualtreatment.
subjectmatteris considereddominant
thanhow the images
whathappensnextis consideredmoreimportant
units
andcumulative
happennext.Indeed,imagesareignoredas affective
ofmeaningand texturewhichaccrueto expressthefilm'sthemein conas
devices.Rather,theyare regarded
junctionwithitsverbalandliterary
in
discreteparticlesoflargerdramaticsequencesandgreatlysubordinate
and
through
within
place
to whatdialogueand actiontake
importance
them.AlthoughbothBluestoneand Frenchdescribevariousvisualasin theirrespective
pects of The Grapes of Wrath,theyhave difficulty
film
and means.In
what
says
with
the
whattheysee
methodsintegrating
emphasis
about
the
thematic
conclusions
thefinalanalysis,theirdiffering
froma
both
derive
to Steinbeck'snovel
of thefilmand its relationship
film
text.
approachto the
literary
primarily
inthefilmis
A similarapproachis takenbythosecriticswhoseinterest
forits
has
been
Wrath
praised
thanaesthetic.TheGrapesof
morecultural
its
for
as
damned
as
well
relevance
courageousrealismand its social
to
it
in
the
pretended
and timidity addressing problems
conservatism
and
a
social
as
cultural
and
discussed
tackle.It has also been analyzed
barometer,
expressiveofthose"meaningsand valuesthatwerea partof
culture"3 at thetimethefilmwas madeand seen. If the
the dominant
itis oftentooliteralinitsresponse
culturalapproachis notquiteliterary,
and consideredindeis
predominant
again
film's
imagery.
Content
the
to
itsrelease,thefact
at
treatment.
For
its
example,
from
visual
pendently
2 George Bluestone, Novels Into Film (1957; rpt. Berkeley: Univ. of CaliforniaPress,
1973); Warren French, Filmguide to The Grapes of Wrath (Bloomington:Indiana Univ.
Press, 1973).
3 Charles J. Maland, AmericanVisions: The Films of Chaplin, Ford, Capra, and Welles,
1936-1941(New York: ArnoPress, 1977),367.
598
American Quarterly
thatit
subjectmatter,
contemporaneous
thatthefilmdealtwithrelatively
theworldand theplightofDust Bowl
seemedto articulate
cinematically
and thatthematerialcontentofitsimagesborea superficially
migrants,
far
to thephysicalworldoutsidethetheatreattracted
strongresemblance
treatthandidthefilm'sstylizedandabstracting
greatercriticalattention
mentof its subjectmatterand physicalcontent.Indeed,the filmwas
to
initially
reviewedand apotheosizedmorein termsof its relationship
to documentary
realism,thantreatedas a successfuladaptation
actuality,
fictionand art.Lifemagazinecalledit
ofa novelor a workofcinematic
"bitter, authentic,honest,'"4 and Edwin Locke, a documentary
filmsof
withthe documentary
comparedthefilmfavorably
filmmaker,
ofDorotheaLange,saying
PareLorentzandtheDepressionphotographs
it "set a precedent for contemporaryand historical honesty in
5
movie-making."
inrecentyearsculturalcriticism
ofTheGrapesof Wrathhas
Certainly
thefilm'ssocialworthon thebasisofits
movedfarafieldfrommeasuring
has swungtheotherwayandthefilm'svalue
realism.Now thependulum
to itsexpressionofa
is basedon itsrelationto myth,
as a culturalartifact
popularsocialvisionwhichCharlesMaland,forexample,sees conveyed
a pattern
universe
meantto present
theconstruction
of"a symbolic
through
formto a broadaudience."
ofvaluesand meanings
in a popularfictional
of such culturalanalysis,the
But despitethe increasedsophistication
notionofsocialvisionis linkedonlyrarelyto actualvision,totheintegrawiththereadingofitsnarrative
tionofthefilm'simagesandvisualtexture
and culturalcontent.Thus,whileMalandmayconcludethatTheGrapes
filmswhoseconcernfor
ofcontemporaneous
ofWrathis one ina number
a largershiftintheAmerirepresents
family"symbolically
theAmerican
another
to affirmation,
at largefroma social criticism
can filmindustry
between1936and 1941,"thatconofthedeclineofradicalism
indication
tentionis nevergiventheampleand cogentvisualsupportthefilmcould
provide.6
and
criticism
One might
emphasisofadaptation
expectthattheliterary
directedtowardThe Grapesof
theliteralemphasisof culturalcriticism
attention
Wrathwouldbe counterbalanced
bythemorevisually-oriented
of filmcriticism.Not boundthroughintentor academicdisciplineto
itsplace in a culturaland
comparethefilmto thenovelor to investigate
historical
gestalt,cineastesmightbe expectedto considerthefilmmore
4French, 59.
5Edwin Locke, review of The Grapes of Wrath,Films (Spring 1940), rpt. in American
Film Criticism,ed. by Stanley Kauffmannwith Bruce Henstell (New York: Liveright,
1972),389.
6
Maland, ix, 169-70.
The Grapes of Wrath
599
freelyas an autonomousworkof visualas well as verbalart.Unfortunately,suchhas notbeenthecase. As Steinbeck'snovelhas obscuredthe
less verbalaspects of the filmfromliterarycritics,and as the film's
relationship
to a particularly
fascinating
periodofsocialand culturalhistoryhas narrowed
thefocusofcultural
critics,so hasJohnFord'sposition
as a pantheon
auteurblurred
thespecificvisionoffilmcritics.Ratherthan
beingconsideredon its own meritsand discussedon the basis of its
aestheticdevelopment
and coherence,The Grapes of Wrathhas been
regardedprimarily
withinthecontextof Ford's entirebodyofwork.As
such,it has been eitherseen as less thana majorworkand ignored,or
discussedless visuallythanthematically
as partofthedirector'scontinuingvisionofwhatAndrewSarriscalls a "nostalgic"and "familylevelof
history."
7In thefirst
instance,thefilmis oftengivenshortcriticalshrift
in Ford's
becauseitis nota Western,
becauseitwas madeat a mid-point
thanhis workin the 1930sand
careerwhichhas garneredless attention
afterthe1940s,and becauseitis regardedas somehowless "pure" Ford
forbeingan adaptationof a classic novel.(It is interesting
to notethat
mostoftheclose textualanalysisofFordfilmsis practicedon thosenot
Fordused literary
sourcesfor
and thatalthough
adaptedfromliterature,
and Stagecoachhave merited
tenof his films,onlyThe Informer
nearly
unanimous
praiseand attention
fromcineastes.8)In thesecondinstance,
thatfilmcriticism
whichhas dealtwithTheGrapesof Wrathinanydetail
has doneso intermsofitsthematic
concernsas derivedfromitsnarrative
and itsgeneralresemblance
structure
to otherFordfilms.The filmitself
anditsvisualspecificity
havefallenvictim
tohowa givencriticfeelsabout
Ford.For someonelikeSarris,thefilm'sapoliticalevocationofnostalgia
its "humanizing
through
Steinbeck'seconomicinsectsintoheroicchampionsofan agrarian
orderoffamily
andcommunity"'9
is clearlyone ofthe
film'schiefvirtues.On theotherhand,in a negative"reassessment"of
Ford,MichaelDempseycastigatesthedirector
and hisworkforpolitical
conservatismand easy sentimentality
and says disparagingly
of The
ofDreiserandDos Passos and
GrapesofWrath,"Ford thecontemporary
even Steinbeck gives us . . . a hollow celebration of that emptiest
abstraction,
The People,alongwitha cop-outanalysiswhichavoidsblam7 AndrewSarris,The AmericanCinema, Directorsand Directions1929-1968 (New York:
E. P. Dutton, 1958), 43-49, quote p. 44.
8 The two most detailed textualanalyses of specificFord filmsare "John Ford's Young
Mr. Lincoln," Screen, 13 (Autumn1972) translatedfromthe originalin Cahiers du Cinema,
No. 223 (1970); and "The Searchers: Materialsand Approaches," Screen Education, No. 17
(Autumn1975). See also H. PeterStowell, "John Ford's LiterarySources: FromRealism to
Romance," Literature/FilmQuarterly,5 (Spring 1977), 164-65.
9 Sarris, The American Cinema, 45.
600
American Quarterly
fortheplightoftheOkies."10These stateor interest
inganyindividual
ments,however,whetherforor againstFord as a filmartistof merited
ofthefilm'simagery.
are notbackedup bycarefulconsideration
stature,
thatimageryis too oftenassumedas a givenby critics
Unfortunately,
anxiousto geton withthejob of dealingwithFord's themes.As Pierre
of
presents"an exposition
notes,a greatdeal ofsuchcriticism
Greenfield
ofit." II Filmcritics
anyseriousjustification
without
Fordianphilosophy
and culturalcriticsin theirgeneralneas guiltyas literary
are therefore
glectofthevisualelementsofThe Grapesof Wrath.
because
needssomeredress-notnecessarily
oversight
Thistripartite
The Grapesof Wrathis a greatworkoffilmart(whichis arguable),but
becauseitis afilmanditis shownon a screenandhas a visualpresence.
The way we read and perceiveit is as mucha functionof its visual
content.Indeed,in
andcultural
anddramatic
as itis ofitsliterary
imagery
of a film'svisualimageryis at
and immediacy
mostcases the strength
content-evenifitspower
thanitsliterary
leastequal to ifnotfargreater
Because ofthispower,a film'svisual
or articulated.
is notacknowledged
and
of literary
whenit is supportive
imagerymeritsas muchattention
contradicanalysesas whenitis moreflamboyantly
culturalandthematic
toryor quietlysubversive.In thecase ofTheGrapesof Wrath,theconsensusof criticalresponsehas been nearlyunanimousin itsrecognition
in toneand spiritfromSteinbeck'snoveland
thatFord'sfilmis different
and poeticworkwhose major
conservative
thatthefilmis a politically
Thatconsensus
family.
themeis thevalueandresilienceoftheAmerican
relafilm's
of
the
structural
an
was notarrivedat merelyby examination
of
its
analysis
cultural
a
or
by
was
its
source,
to thenovelwhich
tionship
its
of
what
echo
its
thematic
or
by
art,
place in a gestaltof populist
That
it.
after
and
before
both
work
in
his
expressed
creator
principal
consensusofcriticalresponsetoTheGrapesofWrathwas also generated
ofthefilm'simagery
integration
bytheseeingofthefilm,bytheintuitive
of thatimageryand its function
intothe criticalact. The apprehension
and articulation.
recognition
needsbothappropriate
ofSteinbeck'sbooktothescreen
It is agreedthatFord'stransliteration
realisticand politicalnoveland
thevaluesof an essentially
restructures
emphasizesthoseaspectsoftheparentworkwhichare themostconsistboth
ownvaluesand personalvision.Although
entwiththefilmmaker's
American
Steinbeckand Forddo sharea commonbondintheirfocuson
ofthoseinstituhumanization
and ideology,intheirdramatic
institutions
Reassessment,"Film Quarterly,28 (Summer1975),5.
11PierreGreenfield,"Printthe Fact: For and Againstthe Films ofJohnFord," Take One,
5 (Nov. 1977), 15.
10 Michael Dempsey, "JohnFord: A
The Grapes of Wrath
601
tions and ideas throughthe medium of proletariatprotagonists,and in
theiruse ofhumorand folklore,theirsympathiesand interestsare dramatically divergent.Steinbeck's novels emphasize the importanceof the
present,the harshnessof reality,the potentialof radical politics,and the
need forsocial and politicalchange. Conversely,Ford's filmsemphasize
the values of the past and softenthe harsheraspects of historicalreality
with nostalgia; his filmworlds are apolitical and atemporaland his aestheticevocationof Americarevolvesaroundthe harmonyand established
traditionsof community.Indeed, his life's work reveals a reverencefor
those human values which are most simple and universal, a reverence
which balks and tremblesat the necessityfor progress and change. As
AndrewSarriscogentlyindicatesin TheJohnFord Movie Mystery,"Ford
never lost his faithin the benigndriftof Americanhistory. . . and intuitivelyredirectedthe pessimisticclass conflictsin ... Steinbeck . .. into
relativelyoptimisticfamilychronicles." 12
The novel, however,is less concernedabout seven monthsin the lifeof
the Joad familythan it is about the relationshipof men to land, about an
untenable economic system, and about the inevitable awakening of a
communalrevolutionaryconsciousness in the oppressed and exploited.
The Joad familyis only a sharply-focusedpoint fromwhich the novel
continuallymoves out far beyond the limited awareness of its main
characters to deal with epic social and political issues, abstractions
which-of dramatic necessity-must find embodimentin the concrete
and specific, in characterizationand action and the details of physical
imagery.Althoughthe Joad familytakes on the bulk of this dramatic
functionin the novel, Steinbeck has structuredthe book in such a way
thatthe readercannotforgetthatthe familyis only one of manyfamilies,
thatit is partof a largerorganismcomposed not only of familiesbut also
of land and plants and animals and weather. The Joads are constantly
counterbalancedby the equal emphasis given in the intercalarychapters
to largerissues than theirimmediatesurvivaland on largergroups than
thefamily.As a result,theirfamilyunitis not metaphoricalin function;it
is, instead, illustrative.Its importancein the novel is not in its mythic
cohesion and endurance, but in its realistic specificity.The Joads comprise onlyhalfof the novel's emphasis,enjoy only halfits attention.And
theuniversalthemeof familysolidarityis greatlysubordinateto the larger
emphasis Steinbeck gives to a cry forthe solidarityof men in a definite
politicaland economic context.Indeed, as WarrenFrenchpointsout, the
novel chartsthe progressof the Joads' "growingout of the narrowcon12
Andrew Sarris, The John Ford Movie Mystery(Bloomington:Indiana Univ. Press,
1975), 161.
602
American Quarterly
cept of 'fambly'in the blood-relationship
sense to a conceptof membershipin theentire'humanfamily.'
"a 13
As has been pointedout by manycriticsincluding
thosecitedhere,
Ford is notparticularly
concernedwiththe Joads' integration
intothe
in relatingthemto an
familyof man. Nor is he particularly
interested
economicor politicalmilieu.Although
thereis a greatdeal ofdialoguein
thefilmwhichrelatesthefamily
totheland,to a largerpopulation,
andto
a politicalclimateverbally,
thevisualinterest
ofthefilmis on theJoadsas
an isolatedand universalfamilyunitwhichtranscends
theparticularity
and specificity
of timeand place. Certainly,the Joads on screenare
intheirphotographic
specificandparticular
itis thenatureof
realization;
themediumto particularize
"characters"and "place" farmoreexactly
and idiosyncratically
thanwritten
language.But thevisualtreatment
of
HenryFonda's Tom,JaneDarwell'sMa, CharleyGrapewin'sGrampa,
JohnCarradine'sCasey,and JohnQualen'sMuleysoftenstheirphysical
individuality
and resonatesphotographicspecificityinto expressive
metaphor
(see Figure1). Because ofthemannerin whichthemajorportionofthefilmhasbeenvisuallyconceivedandshot,Steinbeck'smultiple
themesand simultaneous
emphasishave been exchangedfora less epic
butequallyuniversalvision,fora scope at once smallerthanthenovel's
initsreduction
ofpoliticsandeconomicsandsocialrealitiesto thesize of
a singleromanticized
and yetalso a scope largerthanthenovel's
family,
in its evocationof the survivaland enduranceof thatfamilyagainsta
stylizedbackgroundwhichis not limitedby time and space. While
CharlesMalandsuggeststhatFord's emphasison theJoadsas a familial
and communalunitcan be linkedto the director'snaturalaffinity
for
Jeffersonian
to his beliefin independent
of land
agrarianism,
ownership
andhard-working
byindustrious
families,'4
theJoadsgaintheiruniversalityfromtheirbeingdispossessedoftheirland. Indeed,it is theirlack of
land(anditslackofphotographic
reference)
whichabstracts
themintothe
andpoeticspaceofthemontagesequencesandplacesthemin
generalized
crampedclose-upsandmediumshotsisolatedintrucksandcarsandtents
farfromcommunion
withanyonebutthemselves.
Thus, wherethe novelmovesout bothstructurally
and imagistically
fromthe Joadsto continually
emphasizethe land,biologicalpresence,
andthecrushofthousandsofmigrants
on themove,thefilm'smovement
visuallycloses in on theJoads,at timesto sucha degreethattheyhave
connection
witheitherthelandor therestofsociety.The
onlya minimal
of course,do pay lip serviceto thatconnectionthrough
the
characters,
13
14
French, 27.
Maland, 164-66.
The Grapes of Wrath
603
inuniversalized
oftenliveoutrelationships
space.
Figure1. TheJoadsandtheirfriends
Thefilmvisually
softens
andinsteademphasizes
expressive
metaphor.
physical
individuality
oftheLesterGlassnerCollection.)
ofTheGrapesof Wrathare courtesy
(Allphotographs
scriptalone might
dialogue-so muchso thata readingofthecontinuity
filmfromthe one actually
resultin the impression
of a quitedifferent
is notactuallyvisiblethrough
realizedon thescreen.Butthatconnection
a greatportion
ofthefilm.Land is notas visibleas whatFrenchcalls "the
wasshotindoors
lookofstudiosets.")')15
Mostofthefilm
fresh,
temporary
or on thestudiolot ratherthanon locationin a landscapewhichmight
have matchedthe visualpowerand presenceof the MonumentValley
Fordused in so manyofhisWesterns.Thoughthereare somebrieflong
shotsofauthentic
locationsin someofthemontagesequences,theiropen
of thefilm'9soverwhelmreminder
servesas a striking
qualityprimarily
If
at the film'simagery,it
closed
visual
construction.
one
looks
ingly
as a landtragedy.
Wrath
seemsrather
offthemarktoreadTheGrapesof
Some earlycriticsnotedthisabsenceof land imageryin thefilmand
remarked
on Ford's departure
fromSteinbeckin thisregard.Generally,
attunedto thevisual
theseastutereviewers
werefilmmakers
themselves,
'5 French, 18.
604
American Quarterly
qualities of film. Edwin Locke, for example, came to the filmwith a
backgroundas a memberof the U.S. Film Service, a governmentagency
whose filmsspecialized in evokingthebeautyof theAmericanlandscape:
hasnotcomethrough
as wellas his
It is a pitythatFord'ssenseofenvironment
weakenedbecausehe has
senseofpeople.The openingofthepictureis greatly
Whereare the
or thepeople'sbackground.
givenus no feelingofthecountry
of thedustbowland thetinyhousesas lonelyas shipsat sea?
vast stretches
Whereis thedust?It is hardto believethatFordhas everseenThePlow That
tohearthata cameracrewwas sentto Oklahoma
BrokethePlains.It is baffling
buta fewfeetoftheirfilmwas used. It is regrettable
alongRoute66; certainly
expansesofthe
andterrifying
thattheJoadsweresnatchedacrossthebeautiful
in a fewpansandprocessshots;we couldjustlyhaveexpectedmore.
country
offtheland,
We couldhave expectedmoreof whatit is liketo be tractored
at large,
roaming
morethantheknocking
overofa prophousebya Caterpillar
in abstractmaneuvers.
montageofclankingmonsters
morethana hackneyed
ifFordhadfolloweda little
anda richerpicture,
We might
haveall thesethings,
thedocumentary
thatis nowbeingtalkedaboutinconnection
further
technique
withhiswork.16
Similarly,Pare Lorentz, directorof The Plow That Broke the Plains and
The River, was disappointedby the lack of will to evoke the land and its
moods:
neededto thinkin termsofskies
thescreenwriter]
Johnson,
... he [Nunnally
"drought"
andbrownlandand,mostofall,wind.He neededonlytohavewritten
thefeeling
ofthosedustyplainstilting
andthenleftittothedirector
tore-create
fromOklahomaclear up to Canada, withtheirmiserablehutsand busted
ofOklahoma
windmills.
In fact,he neededonlyto havegoneto thepanhandle
andTexas andwestern
KansasandtheDakotasandeasternColoradoandsaid:
this-hereis wheretheycamefrom."
"Photograph
As he didnot,thenDirectorJohnFord(who,byvirtueofgoingtoZionPark
hisoutdoorsequencesinStagecoach,madea Western
in Utahto photograph
hispicturewith
actionpicture
intoa thingofbeauty)at leastmight
havestarted
theGreatPlainsinsteadofwithscenesthat,even thoughtheywerefromthe
book,did notgiveyoua feelingoftheland.'7
Less importantfor theirrecognitionof how Ford's filmbroke a certain
faithwithSteinbeck's book or withnaturalhistorythanfortheirrecognition that the visual images of a filmare crucial to its meaning, these
16
Locke, 387-88. (The Plow ThatBroke thePlains was made in 1936by Pare Lorentz for
the U.S. Film Service.)
17 Pare Lorentz, review of The Grapes of Wrathin Lorentz on Film (New York: Hopkinson and Blake, 1975), 184.
The Grapes of Wrath
605
indicatetheclosed qualitywhichpermeatesFord's work,his
comments
visual choice whichomitswide-openspaces and panoramicvistas of
eitherparchedearthor pasturesofplenty.Indeed,untilFordbringsthe
thefilm-thecameraisolates
through
JoadsintoHooverville-halfway
them,disconnectsthem,perhapseven protectsthemfromlargerforces
whichgivethenovelan epic quality.
and largermovements
of The Grapesof Wrathis consciouslyconThe generalcomposition
trolledand tight.For the mostpart,theactionoccursin visuallylimited
or
andtightframing
space-limitedeitherbyitsactualspatialparameters
bytheamountofitwe are allowedto see byvirtueofthegivenilluminaone brieflong shot-we move
tion. Rightfromthe beginning-after
forthefirstofmanytimes
inward.Tomhitchesa rideandwe areconfined
orlookinginclose-upthrough
inthecab ofa truck,crampedinitsinterior
thatthe
at Tom and thedriver.WhileMaland'scomment
thewindshield
film"consistsalmostentirelyof the Joads ridingin theirramshackle
it is truethatthe charactersare usually
truck"18is an exaggeration,
screenandlimitedspace(see Figure2). Notonly
crampedintoa cluttered
is a gooddeal oftheJoads'odysseyconfinedand isolatedin automotive
indoors:
actionis also confined
buta largeshareofthedramatic
interiors,
rooms,tents,or shacks,all ofwhichclose
ordarklyoppressive
incluttered
Outofthe50 "scenes" Frenchdescribesas comprising
inthecharacters.
or in part)withinthe
theunitsofthefilm,a totalof25 are shot(entirely
Joadtruckor withinan oppressiveinterior.19
whichoccurin "open space" are also chafingly
Those compositions
containedand limitedby theircardboardand set-likequalityand by the
ofboththecameraandthecharacters.
movement
relativelackofinternal
withCaseytakesplace in
forexample,Tom's initialencounter
Although,
willowtree,the
by an overly-aestheticized
an "open" fieldpunctuated
camerastaysin one spotand thecharactersstandimmobileexceptfor
theirweightfromfootto foot.
shifting
occasionallyand uncomfortably
in such a way, Ford containsthe
theirphysicalmovement
Containing
is thatthereis nofieldoutsidethelimitsof
frameas well.The visualeffect
thecamera'svision,no land-rather,thereis a non-space,ora studioset
coveredwithfalse and aestheticizedearth.The long long shot which
againstthe
concludesthe sequence showsTom and Casey silhouetted
skyas theyset out forthe Joadhomestead.But the shotdarkening
howeverlongand panoramic-ismoreclosedthanopen,morememoraand staticvisionthanitis
lighting
ble foritscomposedqualityand artful
foran evocationof a realworldwithrealearthand dustwhichis really
Maland, 154.
19French, 38-56. (I have not includedthose scenes shot in brightlylit interiors.)
18
606
American Quarterly
An:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~..
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.
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is oftenabstracted
fromcontextthrough
framing.
Figure2. The Joadfamily
blowingaway. Uncle John'sfarmyardis no moreopen spatiallythana
whichpretendsto realism.AndboththeKeene Ranchand
stagesetting
intheirrespecartificial
theWheatPatchgovernment
campseempatently
tiveevocationsof squalorand darknessand spankingclean brightness.
is notnecessarilynegative,
The effectofthisspatialclosureon thefilm,
but it does communicate
the visual messagethatthe worldwhichthe
Joads inhabitis less than real and vital. Their vitalityagainst the
and
theEdwardHopperskiesandcontrived
cardboardsettings,
grimness
thanthe problemstheyface-for
beauty,makesthemmoreimportant
whilethe Dehighlighted
theyare physicallypresentand dramatically
of
the
world
areshownas
rest
and
the
land
and
the
blowingaway
pression
an abstractedstageset or ignoredaltogether.
ofthecharacters,
thetableaux-like
The staticcompositions,
posturing
also add to thevisualelementswhichliftthe
oftheediting
andthepattern
and specificand createof
withthingsimmediate
Joadsoutofconnection
universaland iconic.The camera
and endurancesomething
theirstruggle
forthe mostpartto look at its subjectsfrom
rarelymoves,preferring
eye-level and mid-distance.This point of view produces images which
The Grapes of Wrath
607
a
look at timeslikethesameviewoftheactionone wouldgetwatching
tableau;theentirehumanfigureis seen in
or historical
stageproduction
out into
theframeand so theimagedoes notextenditselfimaginatively
ofthecameracreatesa senseofthe
theworld,andtherelativeimmobility
and exitingfromwingsas opposedto the camera's
charactersentering
jarringexceptiontothegeneralpattern
seekingthemout.The oneliterally
is thevisualtreatment
andcameraand subjectmovement
ofcomposition
givento the Joad's entranceintoHooverville,and to the fightwhich
of
camerawhichmovesas a member
occursinthattentcity.The subjective
thestreetvisuallyopensup thefilmas it,paradoxthrough
theJoadfamily
Boththe subjectivevisionand the camera
ically,limitsits objectivity.
movementare morejoltingthanthe supposedlyshockingcontentpresequencewhichcontainsso muchmoremovesented,as is thelaterfight
the
thanwe have seen before.Indeed,generally
mentand randomness
dramaticactivityor stage "business" withinthe frameis rarelysponbythecharmovement
lackofphysical
andtherelative
taneousorrandom,
to say(a "speech" suchas
important
acterswhensomeonehas something
orMuley'son being"touched,"orMa's
Casey'son notbeinga preacher,
on Tom's notbecomingmean)makesthedialoguedenserthanit might
bysomerandommotion.Instead,suchspeeches
be iflightened
otherwise
thecharacas tableauxremoving
arephotographed
are metwithstillness,
intotherealmof
presentenvironment
tersfroma peopledandphysically
The settingsof the Joad farm,of Uncle
archetypeand iconography.
John'sfarm,ofthecabininthepickers'camp,inthetentsofHooverville,
camp-not one ofthemhas the
in theneatexteriorsof thegovernment
and extraneousqualityof realisticand immediateart or
uncontrolled
document.Not a chickenstirs,and everyobjectseemsto existfordramaticandatmospheric
rather
thannatural
purpose.As a resultthesocialand
faceseemfarmore
whichthecharacters
politicalandeconomicproblems
functional
than
and narratively
thanreal,farmoreaesthetically
dramatic
pressing.
immediately
and
stressesthearchetypal
The wayin whichthefilmis editedfurther
iconicaspectsof the Joadsby creatingstylizedtemporalrelationships
betweenshots.The Joadsexistin montagetime,forexample-shots
so as to conveythepassage
or superimposed
rhythmically
linkedtogether
of timewithoutreallybeingspecific.As well, the Joadsexistin what
mightbe called "tableautime"-that is, theyare seen in set pieces,in
connectedor visuallycontinuousto
scenes whichare not dynamically
commentedabout the perothers.WarrenFrench has derogatorily
notonlythenarrative
puzzlesit
criticizing
natureoftheediting,
functory
presentswiththedisappearanceof Noah Joador Rosasharn'sbaby,but
also withthe use of "sharp breaksbetweenscenes" and the lack of
608
American Quarterly
associationalediting,the "switchfromone scene to anotherby cutting
froman objectin one sceneto a similar
objectin another."He also notes
thatFord "apparently
preferred
to breakthepictureintoa seriesofdiscreteepisodesby the use of sharplydelineatedfadeoutsand fadeins."
These editorialdevicesadd to thefilmthe"compensating
universality"
Frenchsees as a substitute
forthe bite and timelinessof Steinbeck's
novel.The lackofsimultaneity
through
cross-cutting,
theabstractness
of
themontages,
themeasuredandhighly
theatrical
fades,andeventheone
flashback
sequencein whichMuley"tells" whathappenedto thelandall are stylistic
choiceswhichserveto abstracttheJoads.20
Whereastheaverageviewermightnotnoticetheabstracting
qualities
ofthefilm'scomposition
andediting,
itis nearlyimpossiblenotto notice
thatthefilmis dark.Frenchpointsoutthat"almostexactlyhalftheaction
21 a proportion
takesplace at nightor underdimlylitconditions,"
which
allowone to also arguethatalmostexactlyhalfthefilmtakesplace
might
duringtheday or in brightly
litconditions.The dramaticweightof the
film,however,fallson thedarkside,forifone comparesthosescenes
whichoccurinvarying
degreesofdarknesswiththosewhichtakeplacein
relatively
bright
lightitbecomesobviousthattheformer
aremoreimportantto thenarrative
and moreintenseintheiremotionalcontentthanthe
latter.CaseyandTom's reunionis markedbythedimnessofapproaching
dusk.The longand highlydramaticscene in thedesertedJoadcabinis
shotin candlelight
as Casey andTom arejoinedby Muleywhorelatesin
thedarkpresentandinthepunctuating
brightness
ofa flashback
whathas
occurredto the farmersand theirland. Ma Joad's briefbut powerful
reviewofherlife'ssouvenirs
occursinthedimnessofthestripped
house.
The Joads'firststayin a campground
withothermigrants
and theirencounterwiththemanwhotellsthemaboutthefalsepromiseofthehandbillsis at night.The Joads'desertcrossingin whichGranmadies is also
dark.Andnearlytheentire22 minutes
oftheJoads'sojournat theKeene
Ranchis playedintheduskyinterior
ofthefilthy
cabinor at night-as is
theimportant
dramaticsequenceunderthebridgein whichbothCasey
and Tom and theircompanionstrikebreakers
fightthe Keene guards,a
fight
whichleavesCaseydeadandTomhurtandguilty
ofmurder.
Finally,
eventheclimacticsceneintheWheatPatchcampoccursat night;despite
the celebratory
natureof the Saturdaynightdance and its triumphant
dramainwhichthemigrants
forma cohesiveandpersuasivegroupto oust
theirenemies,thesequenceis dark-as is therelatedsceneinwhichTom
says goodbyto Ma and delivershis "I'll be ever'where"speechbefore
20
21
French, 35, 33, 38.
Ibid., 34.
The Grapes of Wrath
609
intotheblackness.The dramaand narrative
impetusin the
disappearing
daylight
scenesare anecdotalcomparedto theforceofthenightscenes.
And, again, it is only in Hoovervillethat Ford providesa marked
exception.
ofa majorportionofthefilmdoes morethan
The chiaroscuro
lighting
merelysupplyatmosphereand supportthe thematicdarknessof the
as a techniquewhichis abstracting,
Joads' odyssey.It also functions
the
whichagainbringsa senseofclosuretothescreenimagebyobscuring
theviewer's
connection
betweenvariousobjectsintheframeandturning
attention
inwardtowardtheJoads.The shadowsspatiallyblotouttherest
oftheworldmuchofthetimeand are,as well,oppressiveandconfining.
Consider,forexample,thesequencein theJoads'abandonedfarmhouse
near the beginning
of the film.Composedquite staticallyand shotin
darknesspunctuated
and flashlight,
theimagescurl
onlyby candlelight
into themselvesratherthan extendoutwardsto the cornersof the
frameand to a consciousnessof a physicalworldin motionbeyondits
confines.The camera'semphasisis on faces,faces whichbecomenot
faces whichare isolatedin cinematogquitereal in the semi-darkness,
rapherGreggToland's"web of shadowsand night"visuallyreinforcing,
ghos'."22
forinstance,
"Muley'sbeliefthathe isjust 'an ol' graveyard
ofclose-upsor themaskingeffect
Eitherthrough
theactualproximity
of darknessin the mediumshots, the abundanceof expressionistic
whichemphasizesthepale faces and glistening
eyes of
cinematography
to anygreat
thecharacters(see Figure3) is notreallycounterbalanced
insistence
on realistic
andclearly-defined
imagery.
degreebyan equivalent
and attention
of thecameraon thefaces
Indeed,thepersonalintensity
oftheJoadsis nevermatchedinkindbyequallyintenseoremphatic
shots
of thepeopletheymeetor theland theysupposedlyrevere-withone
exception.Muley's flashbacksequence is as stylizedand intenseand
visuallycompressedas any in thefilm.The land as a forceis visually
and uniin sucha mannerthatit is madeas transcendent
acknowledged
highangleshot,
versalas theJoads.In one stylizedand uncharacteristic
Muleysquatson hisland,aloneand in darkcontrastto thebarrenlightness of theeartharoundhim.And in another,thefinalshotof the sequence, the cameramovesfromMuleyand his familyto isolatetheir
tracksofthecatershadowsuponthegroundmarkedwiththedestructive
intheframeofthemen'sshadows,thetrail
pillartractor.
The confluence
of destruction,
and the land itselfis as expressiveand compressedas
ButtheexpresCharlesMalandsuggestsinhisanalysisofthesequence.23
22
23
Stowell, 167.
Maland, 156-59.
AmericanQuarterly
610
OA,|
3l
fi 3.Ti
thoghu
Joh
rdcinsil
Fod:rneigo
haocr
deosrtsteefcf
h
rpso
rt
ihigue
The Grapes of Wrath
611
is
forceoftheflashback'svisualarticulation
siveweightandmetaphorical
inthefilm.The sameis trueof
placement
dilutedbyitsearlyandsingular
inthesequenceinHooverville.It
illumination
thevisualstyleandbrighter
thatFordconnectstheJoadsvisuallywitha context
is onlyinHooverville
withsponwhichunitesthemwithotherpeople.The tentcityis teeming
physicalinitspresencethanany
It is moreconcretely
taneoushumanity.
whichFord
otherlocationinthefilm-a worldofdirtanddustandtexture
in daylight.The imagesof Hoovervilleare less
let Toland photograph
thanelsewherein the
shadowedand expressionistic
moody,less artfully
experiencethetextureof
film;thevieweris allowedto see and thereby
evokingthefeelof
thegrayandgrainyimageseffectively
things,
material
seemsfreer
gritand dust.Because thereis morelight,thecomposition
extendoftheframeseemlargerandmorepotentially
andtheboundaries
is notdirectedinwardto thecenteroftheframeas itis
able; ourattention
bright
a greatdealoftherestofthefilm.Becauseoftherelatively
through
ofmorecharacters
becausethereis morerandommovement
illumination,
withtheJoads,andbecausethereis a
whoare visuallyseenincontiguity
visualdetail(itis hardto controltheflapselectionofmorespontaneous
in
on a line),theepisodein Hoovervilleis singular
pingofclothesdrying
it is also
it is memorable,
realism.Although
at documentary
itsattempt
visualstyle,a styleacjoltingin its contrastto thefilm'spredominant
by bothFordand Tolandforits "blackness."24 Thatblackknowledged
theJoads
less harshthanprotective;
ness is less grimthanabstracting,
context
andtheviewerare removedfroma visuallyurgentand engaging
aestheticized,
whichseemshighly
imagery
andtheresultis a predominant
staged,and framed.
effectsderive
in The Grapesof Wrathand itsabstracting
The lighting
in their
fromthe chiaroscuropracticedby the GermanExpressionists
in
and filmsand, indeed,practicedby Fordhimself
paintings
nightmare
and stylizedworkswhichrankamonghis pertwo highlyexpressionist
(1935)andTheFugitive(1947).The visual
sonalfavorites-TheInformer
inTheGrapesofWrathevokesthevague
ambiencecreatedbythelighting
of daylight
outlinesof nightand dreamratherthantheharshspecificity
and DepressionAmerica.In a briefbutcogentdiscussionof thefilm's
Frenchconcludesthatthroughthe lighting"Ford converted
lighting,
what could have been a nerve-wrackingsocial protest. . . into an artful
25
violencein a serenemeditation."
productthatresolvesall transient
is, of course,on the Joads' "coherenceas a
That serenemeditation
family. . . notas a class,"26 and thefilm'sappeal and emotionalforce
ofFord'sfocus.Indeed,Maland
anddirectness
derivefromthesimplicity
24 JohnFord speaks of thisin Peter Bogdanovich,JohnFord (Berkeley: Univ. of California Press, 1968), 78.
25
French, 34-35.
26
Sarris, The JohnFord Movie Mystery,96.
612
American Quarterly
pointsout the film'sabilityto satisfy"the intensedesire of manyAmericans to be involved,throughtheirsentimentsat least, in the humanproblems caused by the depression." 27 But one mightamend Maland's observationby suggestingthatFord's filmwas so satisfyingpreciselybecause
it involved the contemporaneousviewer primarilyon the level of sentiment,because its transcendentvision of theJoads as an archetypalfamily
freedthe viewerfromthe responsibility
forspecificsocial action. It is not
onlythelighting(as Frenchsuggests)butthewhole visual styleof thefilm
whichliftstheJoadsfromspecificityand immediacy,whichelevates them
farfromspatial and temporalurgency.Indeed, the filmis most powerful
in its use of what mightbe identifiedfromtoday's perspective as the
visual shorthandof a Depression iconography.Through its images it
evokes the softened and popularized form of the Depression-its
outline-without assaultingthe viewer withthe harshdemands of actual
content.
Althoughhe sometimesconfuses the contentof the imagerywith its
softenedtreatment,George Bluestone senses the iconic visual qualityof
The Grapes of Wrath:
Behindthedirector's
controlling
handis thedocumentary
eyeofa PareLorentz
ofthevisioninthosestillsproducedbytheResettlement
or a RobertFlaherty,
initsvolume,Land oftheFree . .. ,or inWalkerEvans' shots
Administration
forLet Us Now Praise Famous Men. . . . GreggToland's photography
is
for
valuesoflandandsky,finding
acutelyconsciousofthepictorial
equivalents
thosehaunting
imagesoferosionwhichwerepopularizedfortheNew Deal's
in Steinbeck'sprose.28
reclamation
program
and reflected
While Bluestone seems offthe markin his effortsto prove how the film
and novel sharea commontone or evoke similarland imagery,he is to the
pointin notingthefilm'svisual resemblanceto thedocumentarypoetryof
bothRobertFlahertyand Pare Lorentz.Both of thesefilmmakers
dealtin a
kind of generalizedimagerywhich has given theirwork universal qualities. Man's strugglesagainst the landscape of Flaherty'sNanook of the
North and Man of Aran are as primaland timelessas theyare physically
concretizedin specificgeography,and the editingtechniquesof Lorentz
combined with his use of abstractingclose-ups of water and land and
objects give to both The Plow That Broke the Plains and The River a
temporal and spatial vagueness which is powerfuland iconic. Indeed,
despite Lorentz' criticismsof the absence of land imageryin The Grapes
of Wrath,Ford's visual abstractionof the Joads parallels in style and
effectthat documentaryfilmmaker'stimeless and aspatial treatmentof
theecological problemsof theMiddle West. On theotherhand, Bluestone
to stylewhen he equates Ford's filmand the
displaysa visual insensitivity
27
28
Maland, 161.
Bluestone, 161.
The Grapes of Wrath
613
clarity,sharpfocus,and
ofWalkerEvans. The hard-edged
photography
asceticismof Evans' workis removedin bothsensibility
unsentimental
Lorentz,and JohnFord. The Grapesof Wrath
and stylefromFlaherty,
definition
resemblesthealwaysspecificand unsparing
onlysuperficially
ifthereis a
ineitherEvans' orDorotheaLange'sDepressionphotography;
to the
likenessit is in contentratherthanstyle.A visual counterpart
can be morereadilyfoundinthework
ofthefilm'simagery
generaleffect
of a fineartistwho temperedtherealisticsubjectmatterof his content
offof hardedges and sharpconof focus,a rounding
witha softening
trasts;TheGrapesof WrathlooksmorelikethebluntedvisionofEdward
Hopper than the acutely-detailedvision of the Depression's most
acclaimedphotographers.
andaestheticpowerfrom
Indeed,thefilmderivesmuchofitsemotional
its generalizedquality,its use of what Bluestonecalls "popularized"
as Bluestone'salignrealisticnordocumentary
imageswhichare neither
wouldsuggest.
andphotographers
filmmakers
ingthemwithdocumentary
rather
thansocialrealism,andwhile
andmetaphor
Theyservemythology
appeal,they
withtheirsentimental
theymayoftentugat theheartstrings
theyare equivalentnotto the
rarelyincitetheviewerto seriousthought;
harshproseof Steinbeck'sworkor theclarityand asceticismof Evans'
appealofposterart.Thus,
totheemotional
style,butrather
photographic
and spatiallycirmuchas Fordin his Westernshas used thetemporally
cumscribedand compressedworldof objectand landscapeto evoke a
timeandspaceandwhichowes
whichcreatesitsowncontained
mythology
and spatiallycirhe has also used thetemporally
littleto actualhistory,
andblunted
oftheDepressionto createsoftened
cumscribed
iconography
containitinthe
imageswhichevoketheDepressionbutwhichcontinually
objectsandlandscapeswhich
realmofart.Thefilmaboundswithmaterial
concretizeand yetabstractthepolitical,economic,and
simultaneously
social realitiesof Steinbeck'schaptersabouttheJoadsintopoeticand
the slouchedand soiledhats,the caps, thefloral
emotionalshorthand:
sweaterswhichhavecometo
buttoned
printdressesandthehaphazardly
clotheouremotionalassociationswiththeDepression;thestaticposturselfposingforthefuturewitha fascinating
ingoffamilygroups,stiffly
consciousnesswhichkeeps themrigidlyfacingthe camerawhilethey
is
averttheireyesfromit;oldtrucksandjalopieswhosegeometry
secretly
at
andbursting
as an inverted
apart,choking,
pyramid-falling
top-heavy
the seams withmaterialgoods gatheredtogetherwithold clothesline,
familiar
and old kitchenchairs;gas stationsand gas pumps
mattresses,
somehowevocativeof bothorderedcorporatepowerin a technological
peopleno longerin
ofan agricultural
movement
societyandthemigratory
by thepowerconglorified
machinery
withtheland;industrial
harmony
ferred
bythecloseupandlow angle,bitingintotheearthlikeprehistoric
carnivores.The visual imageryof Ford's filmuses all thisemotional
614
American Quarterly
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~J
A~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ii,;1M
arkas
'I;~~~~~~~~~~~~~N
M A
Figure4. Ford'stableaucompositions
drawfromDepressioniconography.
iconography
whichhas cometo us generalized
outofspecificandharsher
piecesof Depressionartand life(see Figure4).
In thefinalanalysis,thefilmprojectstheimagesofa ritualized
world,a
worldinwhichchangeis neither
possiblenordesirable.Instead,survival
andendurance
andthecontinuation
oftraditional
valuesareapotheosized
bytheJoadsandtheirodysseythrough
"a timelessworldthatcages men,
whileallowingthemthefreedomof movement
to dignify
and humanize
theirlivesthrough
actionand comedy."2"Thisis certainly
nottheworld
of'JohnSteinbeck.Rather,thefilmis theresultofthelegitimate
aesthetic
choices made by a directorwith a reputationat least equal to the
novetistswhoseworkhe has translated.
By choices,Ford's filmis powerfulm`its realizationof '.Family." His styleis not miscalculatedor
unconsidered.
Anditis notmerelyderivedfromthechangesmadeinthe
elementsofthefilm.The staticcompositions
literary
and cameraplacemeht,theartificiality
ofthestudioset,thenon-dynamic
editing,and the
chiaroscuro
anditsresultant
softening
ofharshcontrasts
andhard
lighting
edges,coupledwithFord'sneglectofa concretepoliticaland socialcontextand his-omissionof thosesequenceswhichwouldmakethefamily
less attractive
thanitis-all servehisemotional
exploration
oftheendur29
Stowell, 169.
The Grapes of Wrath
615
ingdignityand value of Americanfamilylife.Ratherthanchoosingto
of the abstractwiththe concrete(somefollowSteinbeck'salternation
do despiteits constantdependenceon
to
able
quite
is
thingwhichfilm
to makea filmequivalentin tonewith
has
chosen
Ford
materialreality),
novel. That tone, however,is
Steinbeck's
of
chapters
the intercalary
realizedchapters:the
concretely
more
of
Steinbeck's
stuff
the
appliedto
thevisualfeel
include
to
reluctant
so
so
enclosed,
is
If
film
Joads. Ford's
Lange's
or
Dorothea
Evans'
Walker
in
found
humanity
of
and evocation
itis
so alivewithsweatanddirtandparticularity,
Depressionphotographs
and
of
the
in
history
interest
specificity
lack
of
Ford's
with
consistent
politicsand socialproblems.It is no accidentthatthefilm'svisualstyle
forpeople. We neversee theJoads
neglectsreal estateand agriculture
workthe land theyspeak of. At the Keene ranch,whenthe menand
childrengo offto pick fruitthe images stay behind with Ma and
with
Rosasharn.The onlyworkwe see Tom do thathas anyconnection
earthanddirtis layingpipeline.Andthereisn'ta singlepeachinthefilm.
Asked by PeterBogdanovichwhatattractedhimto the novel,Ford
answered: "The whole thingappealed to me-being about simple
people-and the storywas similarto thefaminein Ireland,whenthey
on the roadsto
threwthe people offtheland and leftthemwandering
to do withit-part of my Irish
starve.That mayhave had something
to find
tradition-butI likedtheidea ofthisfamilygoingout and trying
is
theirwayin theworld."30 The familyas thebasic unitof community
aims
crucialto Ford'swork.Thus,as WarrenFrenchnotes,thedirector
themas
contextandtreating
theJoadsfromanyparticular
at "abstracting
ageless figuresof dispossessedwanderers.''31 The filmimagehardly
Tom's finalspeechto Ma
leavestheJoadsformorethana fewmoments.
articulateshis and his
omniscienceeverywhere
abouthis metaphorical
family'sownpositionwithinthecontextofthefilm.AndMa's finalaffirPa. We'rethepeople.")is less an assertion
mation("We'll go on forever,
ofthefamily.Withreof
theindomitability
than
consciousness
social
of
foritsartisticcoheras
well
as
own
its
in
right
achieves
it
for
what
spect
work,Ford's The
ence and its place in a largerbodyof acknowledged
andmain
GrapesofWrathclearlyandvisuallyevidenceshismaininterest
emphasison theJoadsas a familyunit-and notas Steinbeck
thematic
emphasizesthemirtthe novelas a familyof Man. Althoughthe same
carefulconsideration
conclusionsaboutthefilmcan be arrivedat through
elementsand its place in the cultureof a specific
of thefilm'sliterary
period,thoseconclusionsdeservethesupportofan equallycarefulvisual
analysis.
30
31
JohnFord in Bogdanovich, 76.
French, 38.