March 24, 2010
The Quiet Man (1952)
Should I see it?
100% Yes.
Short Review: If there is a thing as a chick flick for guys, this would be it.
If this film doesn’t make you smile and set your mind to fond dreams you’re beyond help. This movie is beautiful on many levels and satisfying on each one. From the lush scenery of Ireland to the well-crafted to script to the well-crafted Maureen O’Hara, this is a movie for every man’s softer side.
John Wayne is portrays Sean Thornton, an American boxer who returns to Ireland to find peace and a new life. What he finds is spitfire Mary Kate Danaher (O’ Hara) and her brutish brother 'Red' Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen). Sean and Mary Kate build a relationship, albeit a contentious one. This central relationship is the true selling point of the film. Wayne and O'Hara have a real chemistry that I believe produces one of the strongest on-screen pairings ever.
Wayne’s usual stoic and slightly belligerent posture is toned down as he shows that his iconic presence is not some Hollywood creatio,n but a result of his natural charisma. If you know someone who dismisses Wayne as a hack, show them this film. John Wayne nails his role and gives O’Hara enough space to flower in hers. O’Hara’s performance is very seductive and organic. She almost steals the show. Think about it, she manages to upstage John Wayne in a John Ford film. This is no small task.
The cinematography by Winton Hoch (Joan of Arc, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon) is breathtaking and worth the price of the rental. The richness of the images on screen are rarely seen in film either back then or today. This film proves without equivocation that the effects of nature’s beauty are more special than any effects George Lucas or Spielberg can muster. Ireland is a stunning place and this movie may be its best travel brochure.
The film as a whole has a dream like quality. The world presented in the film is like Eden lined with pubs. I can’t think of a finer place to visit.
Related Reviews:
More films by The Duke
Stagecoach (1939)
The Horse Soldiers (1959)
Other Critics Reviews:
ReelViews
FilmCritic.com
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Labels: classic, film, John Ford, John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, movie review
posted by Michelle Obama's Left Nut at 8:00 AM
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1 Comments:
I love this movie because it drives Hollywood liberals wild. The in yer face intimations of wife beating as SOP in backwater Irish villages is passed off as a bit of local color. Reading some of the reviews the film historians and critics stand aghast.
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