How did I get to Hollywood? By train. -John FordArguably one of American's greatest directors, John Ford was admired by the likes of Orson Welles for his artistry. While he did do other types of films, he was and still is best known for his Westerns. He won 4 Oscars for Best Director, a record that still stands today. Maybe there really is no argument, then. He was an interesting guy, never really considering himself an artist. But as history has shown us, many of the greats don't. Read all about him here.
Initial reaction: I've read John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath, and to be honest, I wasn't sure how I would like the movie before I saw it. I appreciated the story within the context of the Great Depression, and Steinbeck is a very moving author, so I thought it would be difficult to translate such a story to the film. However, I felt that the film did an excellent job inserting cinema-specific elements that highlighted the mood of the novel, which was a sad one. And visually, it's absolutely stunning.
