Young Mr. Lincoln

Dir. John Ford
1939

Opening Image:

Closing Image:

 

The opening image's composition leads our eyes to the store made of logs in the background, recalling the story of Lincoln's own mythic birth in a log cabin in the woods. We are immediately cued in to recognize both the reality of Lincoln and his legend. The final shot shows an almost comical iconic image of Lincoln, top-hat and all, but portrayed with dignity ready to face the looming storm.

The Grapes of Wrath

Dir. John Ford
1940

Opening Image:

Closing Image:

Despite the positive note the film ends on with the "We're the people speech," Ford ends the film on with a negative image; a subtle inversion of the uplifting speech (reportedly added at the behest of the producer Darryl F. Zanuck). Where the film opens at a crossroads, implying at least a few possibilities, it ends with a bleak single path progression. Ford implies that The People have been so downtrodden as to have been denied their crossroads and only given one option.