The Quiet Man

Starring: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen
Directed by: John Ford
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
1952

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: An American (John Wayne) returns to his native Ireland, where he falls for a pretty Irish girl (Maureen O'Hara) and clashes with her difficult brother (Victor McLaglen).

Review:

Tim: The Quiet Man really surprised me. It's such a departure for both John Wayne and director John Ford. That's part of why I like the movie so much- it's just so different than what we've come to expect from either of these men. That makes the whole movie feel special and different- like it's a rare treat for us to see these people out of their normal setting and surroundings. It also helps that this is an incredibly enjoyable, fun movie. I really enjoyed watching this, and consider it a great movie.

Let me start by saying how much I loved seeing John Wayne out of the American West and not on a battlefield. Taking Wayne away from all that and planting him in this lush, green, beautiful Irish landscape was a brilliant move. Of course, he's still the Duke and is still the toughest guy around. This departure was a welcome one, and it allowed me to watch Wayne without all those preconceived notions that come from the countless Westerns he's done in his career.

The setting of Ireland is one of the biggest strengths of the film. It takes an American icon and transports him to this very different land. Wayne is our proxy, and we're introduced to this country through his eyes. The cinematography in this film is truly outstanding- the Irish landscape looks so inviting. The camera work is truly beautiful, and I just spent a good deal of the film drinking in the natural beauty of Ireland. It shouldn't be a surprise that out of the two Academy Awards this film won, one of them was for Best Cinematography (Color). This is a truly remarkable film to watch because of that.

I thought Wayne did a good job in the lead role. He's still playing his tough guy with a tender heart, but it just felt different here. He had such a terrific ability to connect with the audience, and you immediately identify with him. I also loved Maureen O'Hara in this film. She just sparkled on screen, and she was fun to watch. Whether she was singing, flying off the handle with her Irish temper, or holding in her feelings for Wayne- she gives such an energetic, fun performance. She was a ball of fire in this film, and perhaps gives the best performance of the entire film (it's hard to say for sure). I'm a huge Barry Fitzgerald fan- there's just something about the guy that I love. I would watch anything with him in it. While I don't think this is his best performance, he still works well with the entire cast. I just loved seeing him here. While Wayne, O'Hara, and Fitzgerald are all quite good, the only cast member to receive an Academy Award nomination was Victor McLaglan, for Best Supporting Actor. He certainly deserves the recognition. He might not be a great actor, but he was brilliant in this role. He was gruff and heartless, but he did it in a way so that you couldn't completely hate him. He was the antagonist of the film, but he seemed just a tiny bit sympathetic. That was quite an achievement for McLaglan, and I'm glad he received some recognition.

I really liked the story of Sean Thornton, especially when we discover more about his back story. It made for a pretty fascinating film, and it made me think about the internal struggle he must have been feeling. I do wish more of that internal struggle was depicted. I also have to say that the movie is certainly too long at 129 minutes. There's a classic story about the studio executives insisting John Ford get the film to clock in under two hours, and so he showed the film, and stopped it right at 120 minutes, right in the middle of a huge climatic scene, insisting he couldn't trim any further. The execs let him keep the extra 9 minutes. While it's a great story of a director sticking to his guns, I actually agree with the studio heads (that might be the first time I've ever said that). The movie is just a bit too long and it could have used some more cutting in the middle.

It's funny to watch this movie 60 years after it was released, because times have certainly changed. There's several scenes where Wayne could easily be accused of domestic abuse (how O'Hara wouldn't have been injured in the dragging scene is beyond me). Most of those were for comedic purposes, but it was a little hard for me to watch some of the roughness with which Wayne treated his wife. I didn't love those scenes, but I try to watch movies like this through a different lens.

While flawed, The Quiet Man is still a great film. It's a fascinating story with multiple layers that features strong performances from the entire cast. The cinematography is occasionally breathtaking. I loved how John Ford created this little Irish village and populated it with all these memorable, funny characters. Plus, the film features a truly memorable, classic fight scene between Wayne and McLaglan at the end (it has to be seen to be believed). All this adds up to a film that is truly special and worth seeing. I love Wayne as a cowboy, but I have to say that this departure from the norm was very, very welcome.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



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