Érik a gyümölcs

A gritty film that effectively portrays what America was like in the 1930s, but I simply didn't feel that the movie managed to impress me in any way. It’s a good film with quite a few weak scenes, dominated by the unique Henry Fonda. Some of the thoughts expressed by the characters are excellent, but I feel that the film owes this to Steinbeck. (2014.09.02)

The film, although not without its flaws, was an extraordinary achievement in its time, as there was no place for this type of social criticism in the contemporary studio system, and light escapist themes clearly prevailed. The book is excellent, and even though the film did not fully utilize its potential, it fairly faithfully follows the literary plot and goes quite far in its social criticism. It is a significantly left-wing film that depicts both the hopeless situation of farmers and day laborers during the economic crisis and the growing solidarity and awareness of social responsibility. This is evident in the scene at a bistro, where everyone, starting with the owner and ending with the last tractor driver and waitress, supports the unemployed in some way. Overall impression: 90%. (2009.04.07)

A great classic that only partially won me over. On the one hand, it brilliantly captures the tragic fate of poor farmers affected by the economic crisis and their harrowing odyssey to find work, aided greatly by impressive performances and a completely believable portrayal of the social chaos and distrust of the time. On the other hand, however, it’s hampered by a somewhat monotonous script, where we keep moving from place to place with the main characters, and especially by rather bland emotions, which Ford fumbles with even in tense moments, giving almost no escalation to individual scenes or the story as a whole. But it’s still an extraordinary film, if only because of the subject matter and the time it dared to deal with it, not to mention the sensitive and precise approach in terms of history. The U.S. in the early 1930s was definitely not a place or time I would like to visit, at least that's what Ford made quite clear with his tale. (2013.08.08)