The sequence where the Joad's truck enters the "transient" camp has a wonderfully surreal quality about it. You're looking from the driver's POV and the citizens of the camp come and go in deliberately filmed slow motion adding a wonderfully eerie surrealistic atmosphere. Not an FX that you would see often in a film of that vintage.
Pure genius!
One of my 3 favorite films of all time, no argument!
I just watched it and it was NOT filmed in slow motion. It is the skill of the cinematographer and the director that give that surreal quality.
shareI just watched the movie for the first time (where have I been all this time?..) and that sequence stood out to me, too.
For me, what really stood out was how that "surreal" feeling was evoked by:
1) How the camera was slightly tilted to show the people walking through the scene at an odd unnatural angle
2) That first couple that walks across the field of vision from the left toward the right - how really thin and gaunt they are [great casting choices!] although their faces looked a little "too clean"
3) Then that extremely tall woman on the right with her little kids under her arms
4) And then finally those two women, arm-in-arm, with the one on our right with the head-covering looking a little "off," as if she might be a little mentally deficient, and being guided about by her middle-aged mother still
All of those distinctly visual archetypes coming in rapid succession really left me with a sort of "unsettled" feeling because it really spoke to the depressing condition and circumstances weighing heavily on these poor unfortunates of society.
You mentioned nothing about it being done in slow motion.
This "Henry" individual called my bluff on that matter and I know I'm right!
As you know, the shot came through the windshield of the Joads' truck, which was just moving extremely slowly, as opposed to the shot representing "slow motion" per se.
shareI know what I saw and I'm sticking with it - thank you.
shareEveryone else is wrong and you're right? Wrong. You're wrong AND delusional. It was not in slow motion.
shareDamn straight they're wrong and yes I AM right!
Now go back under your rock!
Hey,everybody just chill out now---when I first saw that sequence it actually did look like it was in slow motion for the first full minute, and then I realized it wasn't. So maybe all of you are both right and wrong,lol!
shareHere is the sequence : https://streamable.com/bpv4
I'm afraid it's not in slow motion, but the fact that you thought it was speaks about the genius of this scene.
It's a clever piece of film. It does give a slow motion kind of effect but I don't think it's slow motion.
The vehicle is just moving very very slowly. But If you look at all the action outside the vehicle, the people are moving at a regular speed. Focus on the people walking and their actions. Especially people in mid and back ground.
Just saw it and it's not in slow mo. Look at the smoke coming out of several chimneys and the people moving.
It's the Joad's old truck very slowly showing us where the road away from home led them so far.
Don't look none too prosperous.