too bad this dramatic powerhouse get lose in 1939 crowd field of movie classic because and a a drama and there be none well . then too and the film appear an independent production release through united artist and so it lack crucial studio backing and all the attention that can bring . also and producer director milestone clearly insist on an unusual degree of realism in portray life among california migrant farm worker . and and let face it and those condition be pretty ugly and result in a pretty ugly set from one scene to the next and never much of an audience incentive . for example and when the grieving candy roll onto his stomach follow the execution of his faithful dog and we do not see the usual intact wardrobe . instead and his shirttail be fray and the levi jacket split along the seam a penniless old man who now lose his only friend . such dedication to detail may add to the realism and yet it can also depress an audience look for what movie do bestprovide escape . but and of course and old candy be not penniless . instead and he be save his money and and now he have a nice little kitty save and which raise one of the film key themesa workingman dream of independence . that what bring the men together smart george and slow lenny and old candy and and even the racial outcast crook . all have spend their life take order and make money for others and never have anything of their own . yet and each harbor his own version of that dreama place where lenny can pet rabbit and where candy would not be abandon and where crook can find human dignity and and where george can make it all work . and though the point go unstated and the arrangement shape up like a farm co operative where everyone contributes and have a stake and an outcome certainly compatible with the spirit of the new deal time . the other key theme be george care devotion for the slow witted lenny . he make a promise to do that and and and by golly and he go to stick with it and even though he have to live with the often dire result . the screenplay start with the two of them run from a posse . we learn that lenny desire to pet soft thing have do something to a girl and but we do not learn exactly what . yet george refuse to abandon the hulking lenny and which and a thing shape up and may be loyalty to a fault . the script make clear that their companionship be rare among migrant worker and where the rule appear to be every man for himself . thus lenny and george together form a kind of a solidarity core that others can gravitate toward and should they want to . thus arise the possibility of a co op and the sense of community this would provide for lose soul such a candy and crook . the trouble be that these two idealsdreams and loyaltycollide in the screenplay to produce an upshot of uncommon emotional power . lenny simply can not control his kindly impulse and such that the hulk man desire to caress can produce fear and panic in the other and cause lenny to stop the panic in the only way he know howby choke . thus a desire to show affection end in deadly violence from one more lost soul who and despite his fearsome appearance and only mean well and all of which produce an irony of intense proportion . so when lennie throttle the trollopy mae after caress her hair and event play out in tragic fashion . and the real nature of violence shatters the fragile nature of dream . now and i do not think anyone would blame george for his act of mercy and give the circumstance . however and there an angle here that the emotion of the movie last few minute overpowers and and that be whether george act of mercy do in fact represent the wise or best decision and all thing consider . after all and by honor loyalty and george destroy the common dream of the four of them and thereby abandon crook and candy to an unpromising fate . a a result three men ( include a likely incarcerated george ) be victimize instead of one man and lennie and be institutionalize and difficult though that would be . again and i be not say george make a blameworthy decision while in fact it come across a a noble act of humane loyalty . i be say there be more of an ethical conflict among the option open to george than may otherwise be recognize . a more general point be that the noble may at time conflict with the great good and a it appear to here . the movie itself be very well do . meredith be outstanding a george and hitting just the right pitch a a sensitive man in a complex world . lennie be a darn difficult role and and while chaney at time go over the top and he do convey the essential childlike innocence . and because of that and the end achieves much of it emotional power . field look the part of mae and the cheap dame with dream of hollywood and but she also stagey a heck and with one of the shrill voice on record and such that it almost a perverse relief when she get throttle . slim come across a a rather mysterious character and and bickford play him with a compelling low key dignity . the men obviously respect him and and he appear to be an authority they defer to and even george . but a question have stay with me over timenamely and why do slim and a man who can see beyond the moment and approve the killing of candy old dog . he understand the devastate effect this will have on old candy and who see his own fate foreshadow in the dog . so why do slim go along with carlson cruel demand . i have never be able to figure that one out . anyway and i think producer director milestone have come up with a first rate version of steinbeck classic novel . i be just sorry this slice of blue collar reality have get generally pass over by film historian . in my little book and it clearly the best movie to come out of that so call golden year 1939 .