Of Mice and Men

Movie Review: Of Mice and Men

Year of Release: 1939
Country of Origin: USA
Director: Lewis Milestone
Cast: Burgess Meredith, Betty Field, Lon Chaney Jr.

Plot outline: A mentally retarded giant and his level headed guardian find work at a sadistic cowboy's ranch in depression era America (IMDb).

Based on the novel of the same title by John Steinbeck, the movie follows the book as literally as the screen demands. There is a short prologue; the camera enlarges the play's vista to include the fields where the barley-buckers worked, the messroom, the town cafe where the hands might spend their wages; but nothing has been added that does not belong, nothing has been removed that was important to the proper telling of the story. The story has a cruel, bizarre, ridiculous sound. But it doesn't seem that way on the screen. Tragedy dignifies people, even such little people as Lennie (Chaney), George (Meredith) and Mae (Field). The writer and adapters have seen the end all too clearly, the end of George's dream and Lennie's life. With sound dramatic instinct they have not sought to hasten the inevitable, or stave it off. Doom takes its course and bides its moment; there is hysteria in waiting for the crisis to come. And during the waiting there is the rewarding opportunity to meet some of Steinbeck's interesting people, to listen to them talk, to be amused or moved by the things they say and do. Of Mice and Men retains its raw dramatic power. (NYT)

My judgement: *** out of 4 stars