“The first thing would be to understand how it came to the mind of the firm Schoedsack and Cooper (then just founded, we are in 1925) to go and film the migration of the Persian tribe Bakhtiari. One thing which is certain is that once on the ground there, the two filmmakers knew how to bring forth the epic dimension of the annual exodus of the fifty thousands orientals (the number is multiplied by ten if one includes animals, ranging from the picturesque lap-dogs to the infinite emaciated oxen ) across the icy valleys and the impervious gorges of Asia Minor.

In Grass everything is elementary and powerful, absolutely directed. The presentation: a frame each for the two authors and the leads. Immediately after there is the focus on the problem, grass, or the survival of the animals, and consequently, the men. Grass resembles the most classic of westerns: there is a caravan of hungry people, even if they are portrayed with forced smiles; they must reach a promised land, so rendered because of the fertility of the soil ; they also must transport the herds across a frightening series of difficulties and obstacles. The caravan proceeds along the sunsets of a thousand a one nights, whilst the two authors construct a story of impeccable suspense; the future metteurs-en-scène of King Kong are no longer anthropological like John Ford (who will take the place of Cooper’s friend parted for other shores). They display an immediate empathy with the Asiatic pilgrims, keeping the “nice” moments within tolerable limits, focusing everything on the sense of profundity and on the tension between hope and distance. In the end, however, we must point out a dominant sentiment – it is nostalgia: but in this sense, the colours certainly play an influential role. It would be worthwhile to reflect deeply on these colours”. (Giacomo Manzoli)