La fuerza bruta

Excellent screen adaptation of the John Steinbeck classic about two drifters in the Depression who move from ranch to ranch in search of work. Perfect pairing of Meredith and Chaney (his finest screen performance) as George and Lennie. In a year of great classic movies, it should be no surprise that this film falls into that category as well. Oscar nominated for the Best Picture of 1939.

I don't think anybody who has read "Of Mice and Men" has ever forgotten it. John Steinbeck paints characters who are so rich, so sympathetic, so tragic. I went through a brief Steinbeck phase during my highschool years, and every single novel – "The Grapes of Wrath," "The Pearl," "The Winter of Out Discontent," "The Red Pony" - left me feeling emotionally gutted. His conclusions are tragic and sorrowful, and yet somehow necessary - the only possible conclusion.

I've seen Gary Sinise's 1992 film adaptation of "Of Mice and Men," and it's a very strong, faithful adaptation, but this one tops it, I think. Snappy, shrewd George is played by Burgess Meredith, and he has a wonderful rapport with Lennie (Lon Chaney, Jr.), a behemoth with more heart than brains.

The characterisations are poignant, and the dialogue strongly literary, often lifted straight from the pages of the source material. Steinbeck has a delicate way of giving his characters hope, and then sharply yanking it away for the conclusion. This goes against every rule of Hollywood storytelling (even John Ford's 'The Grapes of Wrath (1940)' compromised with a more optimistic ending), but here director Lewis Milestone sticks to the original story like it was gospel.

OF MICE AND MEN (1939) **** Burgess Meredith and Lon Chaney Jr. embody John Steinbeck's tragic migrant workers George and Lennie during The Great Depression facing all the hard work and hard knocks life offers in their pursuit of The American Dream of `livin' off the fatta the lan' and wind up on a ranch with its share of down on their luck characters all enclaved to certain destinies and a heavy fall for our protagonists. Chaney (in his second icon role, the latter would be as the accursed Larry Talbott aka The WolfMan) personifies the gentle souled giant with a dim bulb who obeys his best friend George like a loyal dog and as his brother's keeper, Meredith allows his scrappiness a warmth underneath. Lennie Smalls would be endlessly used as a punchline in Looney Tunes toons to come (`which way did he go George!') and the film would be updated twice - one a tv movie with Robert Blake and Randy Quaid and a theatrical 90s version with Gary Sinise and John Malkovich. This classic was also produced by famed studio maven Hal Roach.

This movie has power. Some of todays movies are great extravaganzas but they have no power. The flawless performance given by Lon Chaney Jr. has never been surpassed. John Stienbeck wrote the story and is one of my favorite authors.

In this movie "Of Mice and Men" you can not help but be drawn into the story and feel every feeling that each character brings to the story. There are no big heroes here just people in a time of great tribulation. The director Lewis Milestone is superb in his making of this movie and also produced it.

I have seen all the remakes and there are none to compare. If you enjoy good movies don't miss this one and bring a box of Kleenex.

Of Mice and Men (1939)

**** (out of 4)

A true masterpiece of the genre has Burgess Meredith playing George, the simple man who takes care of the soft hearted but dumb Lennie (Lon Chaney, Jr.). The two men get work on a ranch where they dream of owning their own land but fate always has a way of finding Lennie. Even though this film has the reputation of being a classic, I can't help but wonder why it isn't talked about more when it comes to some of the all time great movies. I'm going to guess the movie is often overlooked because it comes from 1939, the same year that gave us films like GONE WITH THE WIND, THE WIZARD OF OZ and MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON to name just a few. The masterful performance by Chaney is probably overlooked because most people remember him mainly for his horror roles. Both reasons are understandable but there's no question this movie packs on emotional and peaceful punch that can't be topped by too many movies. Producer Hal Roach rushed this film into production to beat John Ford's THE GRAPES OF WRATH into theaters but you really can't tell. The direction, cinematography, screenplay and acting are so wonderful that you can't help but fall in love with the film. Chaney clearly steals the show as the dimwitted Lennie. That childlike quality that Chaney brings to the role is unforgettable and the sympathy he gains is unmatched. The film shows what a great actor Chaney could be if given the right parts. It's a shame he didn't get to do more dramatic roles in his career. Meredith, a fine character actor, is another one who never got enough credit in his career. He delivers a remarkable performance here that perfectly balances out the friendship between his character and Lennie. The real surprise comes in how terrific the supporting players are led by Charles Bickford's wonderful work as the tough guy in the group. Bob Steele, Roman Bohnen, Noah Beery, Jr. and Betty Field are all terrific as well. The film deals with a lot of subjects as one could argue the entire film is a moral drama. We deal with racism, abuse, personal torture and various other subjects but the film never comes off preachy. The ending, which I'm sure most people know even if they haven't seen any of the movies, packs a tremendous punch.