Review of The Grapes of Wrath

I have watched this film now three times over the years, and my feelings regarding it are almost unchanged. To me it's fairly entertaining. It's strengths are its beautiful black and white photography, and a cast of memorable characters; led by Henry Fonda as Tom Joad, an angry, but keenly observant young man. Their is also Casey, the backslidden preacher with a heart of gold, Mulley the possibly unhinged farmer, lovable, confused Grandpa, and Ma, the long-suffering matriarch. The difficulty I have with the movie, and what prevents me from giving it a higher score, is that from Casey's death to its ending, the film seems to lose steam. Which would have maybe been forgivable, if it hadn't also become too preachy and melodramatic at times. Overall, worth watching, but falls short of truly great.