Grapes Of Wrath Film Analysis

Ladies and Gentlemen, John Ford is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for the cinematic excellence that is clearly displayed in the cinematography of his movie adaptation of the novel The Grapes of Wrath written by John Steinbeck. In the “Tom, Floyd, and Casy” scene alone, Ford showcases his talents in the composition of various camera angles/shots. Some of the more significant shots include the “low angle/reaction” shot in which Casy makes a lower background appearance and the “medium close-up” shot which highlights the abusing and controlling nature of the police. Ford deserves this Lifetime Achievement Award for the “Tom, Floyd, and Casey” scene in itself for his ability to convey major themes in the composition of the actors
Ford’s job is to communicate the undertones of certain scenes without it being directly in the dialect. The mood of the scene has to be felt by the shots, sounds, and lighting. This is beautifully done in the “Tom, Floyd, and Casey” scene as the major themes of the “I” vs. the “We” and the corruption within the police system are being communicated to the audience. Instead of using words, he shows these power shifts by the composition of the policeman, Joe, in the car and the angles being shown of the migrant farmers as they react to certain propositions being made by the contractor. Immediately the first shot of Joe the cop displays the separation between the migrants and those in positions of authority by having Joe physically separated by the migrants in a flashy car while making little to no eye contact with the migrants or even us the viewers. The “I” vs. “We” theme is being physically displayed by one wealthy man being surrounded by a community of starving migrants, the “We”. Although Joe has the policemen’s authority, Ford decided to grant the control in the scene to the migrants first by