"Did they hurt 'cha?
Did they make ya mean mad?"
3.5 Stars
Did they make ya mean mad?"
3.5 Stars
After watching Cinderella Man (A brilliant Ron Howard movie by the way.), and really getting involved with the HBO series Carnivale, I really wanted to see more footage of the depression. In history classes I was always intrigued by this period of American history.
On one of the featurettes on either Cinderella Man, or Carnivale I can't remember which, there was a ton of footage of Hoovervilles, soup lines, and the Dust Bowl, and I wanted to see more. Yet after looking around, I couldn't find any documentaries, or stock footage of the depression. If you know of any such films, can you please let me know? I've had a hell of a time looking.
So I figured the best place to start was with this classic film. Adapted from John Steinbeck's classic of the same name that tells the tale of the Joad family amid the crop failures, dust storms and poverty of the Dust Bowl. Seeking a better life, the family sets out for "Californie", the land of new opportunity. This heart-wrenching story shows the grim fate met by many as they traveled through the Dust Bowl on their journey West. Released in 1940, about 10 years after the stock market crash, and the very real Dust Bowl. So at the time, this film was probably very hard for people to watch.
Watching this film, I am reminded that acting has changed so much over time. The performances are almost theater like, but with more facial expressions because the audience will be able to see them up close.
The language, writing, and best of all the rhythm of their speech is great to watch and observe.
There are some great monologues in this film. A powerful scene in particular where a farmer named Muley Graves is given an eviction notice from the bank, and has fallen to his knees. While grabbing at the dirt beneath him and stroking it's grains in his hands, in a matter of seconds this proud land owning man's spirit is broken, and along with his family is now poor and homeless.
"There ain't nobody gonna push me off my land! My grandpa took up this land 70 years ago, my pa was born here, we were all born on it. And some of us was killed on it! ...and some of us died on it. That's what make it our'n, bein' born on it, ..and workin' on it, ..and dyin' on it! And not no piece of paper with writin' on it!"
Powerful.
As great as the writing was, and the performances, I still felt it was ...just missing something. Maybe I'm jaded by modern film making, but it just wasn't quite what I expected or was looking for.
I just don't understand why this period of our US history is overlooked. It's got to be the best American story ever! Broke, starving, homeless, and hopeless we came up. Like Ma Joad said, "We keep going. Cause we're the people."
Plot summary courtesy of Netflix
On one of the featurettes on either Cinderella Man, or Carnivale I can't remember which, there was a ton of footage of Hoovervilles, soup lines, and the Dust Bowl, and I wanted to see more. Yet after looking around, I couldn't find any documentaries, or stock footage of the depression. If you know of any such films, can you please let me know? I've had a hell of a time looking.
So I figured the best place to start was with this classic film. Adapted from John Steinbeck's classic of the same name that tells the tale of the Joad family amid the crop failures, dust storms and poverty of the Dust Bowl. Seeking a better life, the family sets out for "Californie", the land of new opportunity. This heart-wrenching story shows the grim fate met by many as they traveled through the Dust Bowl on their journey West. Released in 1940, about 10 years after the stock market crash, and the very real Dust Bowl. So at the time, this film was probably very hard for people to watch.
Watching this film, I am reminded that acting has changed so much over time. The performances are almost theater like, but with more facial expressions because the audience will be able to see them up close.
The language, writing, and best of all the rhythm of their speech is great to watch and observe.
There are some great monologues in this film. A powerful scene in particular where a farmer named Muley Graves is given an eviction notice from the bank, and has fallen to his knees. While grabbing at the dirt beneath him and stroking it's grains in his hands, in a matter of seconds this proud land owning man's spirit is broken, and along with his family is now poor and homeless.
"There ain't nobody gonna push me off my land! My grandpa took up this land 70 years ago, my pa was born here, we were all born on it. And some of us was killed on it! ...and some of us died on it. That's what make it our'n, bein' born on it, ..and workin' on it, ..and dyin' on it! And not no piece of paper with writin' on it!"
Powerful.
As great as the writing was, and the performances, I still felt it was ...just missing something. Maybe I'm jaded by modern film making, but it just wasn't quite what I expected or was looking for.
I just don't understand why this period of our US history is overlooked. It's got to be the best American story ever! Broke, starving, homeless, and hopeless we came up. Like Ma Joad said, "We keep going. Cause we're the people."
Plot summary courtesy of Netflix
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