The Quiet Man (1952)

An Irish-American boxer retires to Ireland where he buys a plot of land and woos a local girl. Perhaps I *gasp* don't like John Wayne. His strutting and posturing, long the quintessence of manhood, seem to me the vain attitudes of a caricature rather than a character. I understand that old film actors concentrated more on cultivating a persona than a character for an individual film, but Wayne's persona is neither compelling nor complex. The film's plot is contrived. I followed the story with skepticism throughout much of it until it devolved into the most ludicrous fight scene that I could imagine, and then I just rolled my eyes and waited for it to be over. What strikes me most is the film's misogyny. Mary's insistence for her own money and all the male characters' resistance bespeaks of a lack of male respect for female identity and self-sufficiency. The characters and the film itself wreak of over-whelming male superiority, and when Mary agrees to serve them dinner, I couldn't help but conclude that this was a film condemned to its time. Overall, maybe there's a film that will make me like John Wayne, but this isn't it.

I've seen this film many times over the years, and it has really stood out to me as being one of Ford's best films. Primarily known for his westerns, I love how this one is more atypical. It also helps that I've got a fair amount of Irish ancestry in me, thus can better appreciate this being a wonderful love letter to The Emerald Isle. The story is that of Irish American boxer Sean Thornton who returns to the small Irish village of his birth. Distraught after having accidentally killed a man in the ring, all he wants is to live out the rest of his life peacefully and quietly on his family's land, which is no easy task, as he soon incurs the ire of the squire- a local brute who was wanting the land for himself. Not only that, but Sean falls in love with the squire's sister, a feverishly traditional and fiery woman who insists that her and Sean's courtship be by the books, which includes receiving a dowry...that her brother refuses to pay. The couple get married, but until that dowry is received, the marriage absolutely won't be consummated. What follows is a gloriously jolly romp that shows Sean trying to prove he's a real man without always having to resort to violence, which he is of course reluctant to do given his past. Yes, the movie does perpetuate a few stereotypes about Irish men loving to drink and fight, but it could be far worse. The film has a fun set up, great supporting characters, and, since it was shot on location, it features Ireland in all of its glory with some truly marvelous cinematography. The music is also quite nice as well, and it's not surprising that this has become THE movie to watch every St. Patrick's Day as a result. Wayne gives a fine performance, and it is nice seeing him in a role like this where he actual does have to try to act and show off his dramatic chops. He's successful too. Maureen O'Hara basically cemented her career here as Mary Kate the love interest, and for better or worse, she's the embodiment of a gorgeous prototypical Irish lass. Victor McLaglen is great as her bullying brother, and the great aforementioned supporting characters are superbly played by Ward Bond, Barry Fitzgerald, and Mildred Natwick among others. Definitely give this one a watch. It's got drama, romance, comedy, action, and really leaves you feeling great inside.