NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were obtained directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Fox - Region FREE - Blu-ray (May 2012): The  1080P better shows the contrast with layering that brings out the strong density of the source. Significant amounts of detail are now visible that were black masses on the SD-DVD. The Grapes of Wrath has plenty of sequences shot in very low lighting and these greatly benefit from being rendered via the Blu-ray transfer. There is also more information shown in the frame - on all 4 sides - via the higher resolution. There are also quite a few scenes that showcase surprising depth. Fox's dual-layering with high bitrate has provided a dramatically brighter and richer video presentation.

Fox use a DTS-HD Master - faithfully mono - at 1052 kbps. As background "A Tisket, A Tasket" plays in the first scene and we also get Eddie Quillan crooning "Going Down the Road Feeling Bad" and at the dance is more music like "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain" and "Red River Valley" (sung by Fonda). Its very clean, predictably flat, but thee is a touch of resounding bass. The transfer has multiple lossless foreign-language DUBs and subtitle options signifying it as region FREE.

We are immediately given the option to watch with the film with the U.K. prologue (this is opposed to separately as offered on the DVD) - that and the commentary by scholars Joseph McBride and Susan Shillinglaw, the Roosevelt Lauds Motion Pictures at Academy Fete, Movietone news: three drought reports from 1934 and brief Outtakes are all brought over from the Fox DVD. But there are a couple of new pieces - Fox Movie Channel Present 'Fox Legacy' with Tom Rothman talking with clips for about 25-minutes and there is an interesting 45-minute biography entitled Darryl F. Zanuck - 20th Century Filmmaker from the TV show Biography. A theatrical trailer is also here.

An easy recommendation - the film has lost none of its impact - it, perhaps, has even more. An essential film experience that we can strongly recommend via the new, impressive, Blu-ray. 

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ADDITION: Ford at Fox- Dec. 07': This is just to confirm that the dual-sides disc from the Studio Classics (#17) in 2004 is the exact same as offered in the new Ford at Fox Collection. This includes the duplicate transfer and digital supplements.

We should again reiterate at this time that our comparison is utilizing the disc from the actual Ford at Fox Collection - hence we are unaware if the single-edition includes any liner accoutrements. It is also available in the Essential John Ford Collection with The Frontier Marshall / My Darling Clementine / Drums Along the Mohawk / How Green Was My Valley / The Grapes of Wrath and Becoming John Ford.

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This long-awaited disc is an absolute beauty. A DVD14 flipper (entire film and commentary on one side (a DVD9) and the rest of the extras on the flipside (a DVD5). The restoration details are worth repeating here:

ABOUT THE RESTORATION: "This restoration was a collaboration between 20th Century Fox and the Museum of Modern Art, NY. Unfortunately, the original camera negative no longer exists. Various secondary sources were tested, including the two primary picture sources for the restoration - an incomplete nitrate composite dupe negative from the MoMA collection and a composite fine grain master positive belonging to Fox.

The nitrate dupe negative, whilst vastly superior in overall picture quality, contained a significant amount of damage including missing footage. This dupe negative became the primary picture source for this restoration. The fine grain master positive was inferior to the dupe negative in terms of sharpness and contrast but was more complete and was utilized to replace the missing and severely damaged sections in the nitrate dupe negative. As a final step, archival film elements were made of both the restored picture and audio elements, assuring the highest possible quality representation of this film for future generations."

 - Nick Wrigley of Masters of Cinema