Day 17: The Quiet Man (1952, Dir. John Ford)
John Wayne stars here as an Irish-American returning to his original home land after some mysterious circumstances to find his roots, a simpler life and love.
This film is essentially an American love letter to Ireland. The location shots of Ireland utilise the countries natural and idyllic beauty that yearns back to a simpler time. Director John Ford clearly revels in these surrounding, delivering shot after shot of rolling hills and babbling brooks, harking back to the stunning landscapes he showed in his work with Westerns such as The Searchers.
Though the interiors of the film pale in comparison at the beauty of the exterior locations. Whilst still being well crafted sequences it seems as though Ford does not know what to do to bring these scenes to life, and so they can’t help but fall flat when compared to those of the natural settings.
The plot is good natured and very of the time, it is a mix of romance, comedy and drama that ultimately works. The backdrop of Ireland is pivotal to holding the film together, romanticising its landscape and its people beyond believable reality and deciding to safely stay away from real issues of Irish history. However the film progresses and remains a compelling watch and a fun one too. The characters occasionally stray into stereotype country, though these all manage to feel acceptable within the film, plus there is quite an interesting revelation about Wayne’s character adding a lot to his performance. Essentially, Quiet Man works as a perfect film for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Overall The Quiet Man stands the test of time, whilst perhaps not being a classic in regards to its actual plot and realisation; the film will always be seen as timeless, showing the American love for Ireland, whilst being an interesting case study for Ireland as a national cinema.
7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045061/
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