The Quiet Man (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
American boxer Sean Thornton (John Wayne), recovering from the trauma of having accidentally killed a man in the boxing ring, arrives in the Irish village where he was born in 'The Quiet Man' (directed by Irish-born legend, John Ford). Hoping to bury his past & settle down, Sean purchases his birth home from local widow Sarah Tillane (enjoyably crusty Mildred Natwick), a sale that has brought the wrath of the pugnacious 'Red' Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen), who wanted the property, himself. In no time, Sean falls in love with Will's beautiful, high-spirited red-haired sister Mary Kate (Maureen O'Hara). Her insistence that Sean conduct his courtship in a proper manner with chaperone/matchmaker Michaleen Oge Flynn (humorous Barry Fitzgerald) is just one obstacle to their future happiness.
The other obstacle is her brother who refuses to give his consent to the marriage, or to honor the tradition of paying a dowry to her to-be husband. Sean doesn't care about the dowry issue, but Mary Kate refuses to consummate the marriage until her irritable brother pays up. Father Peter Lonergan (reliable Ward Bond) conspires to trick Will into paying his due to Mary Kate/Sean. They suggest that widow Sarah Tillane, for whom Will loves, will marry him if he'll give his consent to the marriage & hand over the dowry. But Will discovers that he's been tricked and the situation remains stagnant (with the Sean frustratingly locked out of Mary Kate's bedroom). They argue. They make up. And everything culminates with a fight; where, to prove himself to Mary Kate, Sean must summon his dormant fighting skills to give Will the thrashing he deserves. The fight? Well, it's a howler; covering several acres of land. I mean, hey, these people ARE Irish after all.
'The Quiet Man' is a wonderfully romantic melodrama that focuses more on characters, setting, atmosphere, & humor than on actual plot. But it is highly enjoyable & contains more than a few memorable sequences. I'm reminded of an iconic scene in which Sean & Mary Kate have flee their 'chaperone' & taken off on their own. They're caught in a downpour & draw close to each other for shelter, with Mary Kate's head resting against Sean's chest. It's just a quiet, but intensely romantic moment that both actors play with great tenderness. The image is burned in my memory.
I also loved the scene when Sean finally tames Mary Kate (near the end). With the townsfolk in their wake, he drags Mary Kate over hill & dale. The sequence IS choreographed, yet there's a spontaneous frivolity to the way it plays out; full credit goes to Wayne & O'Hara. Finally, there's the big fight at the end btwn. Sean & Will, which spills in, out, up, down, & all over the pub, Main Street, & countryside of the town. What distinguishes this fight is that director John Ford opts to keep the tone light so there's no sense of danger coming to either man. And the resolution of this fight fits perfectly with the tone of the proceedings & how it will end.
Visually, 'The Quiet Man' is just lovely to watch. The rich color cinematography really makes wonderful use of the lush Irish locales. The production design of the quaint old world town is adorable. And let's face it, Maureen O'Hara isn't exactly hard on the eyes {John Wayne, too of course}. Yes, everything about 'The Quiet Man' is absolutely lovely. The direction, performances ... all lovely & light. Irish-born Maureen O'Hara is the perfect match/foil for Wayne. O'Hara plays Mary Kate with the fire expected from a redhead, but her beauty, warmth, & vulnerability shine through.
John Wayne's Thornton is the kind of guy every man wishes he could be & every woman wishes she could be with. Wayne imparts strength, a sense of 'quiet', & good-naturedness. Cast against type, Wayne pulls off this romantic melodrama role with aplomb, largely because his tremendous screen presence allows him to get away with gaffes that would sink other actors. And his chemistry with O'Hara (they'd go on to make 4 films together) is unmatched. Ward Bond is also great as Father Peter, a likeable, pragmatic character who embodies the type of priest we'd all like to know. Victor McLaglen is an absolute hoot as 'Red' Will Danaher. And I enjoyed Barry Fitzgerald as the matchmaker who chaperones Sean & Mary Kate's courtship.
'The Quiet Man' is a classic. I can see why it won Best Director at the Academy Awards. But I don't think it's a classic BECAUSE of the direction or even the script. It's not that type of movie. It's not groundbreaking or literate. Wayne, O'Hara, the setting, congenial hijinks on display ... it all comprises a great, classic romantic melodrama that just washes over you like an old Irish fable or folk song. It's got that quiet magic.
The other obstacle is her brother who refuses to give his consent to the marriage, or to honor the tradition of paying a dowry to her to-be husband. Sean doesn't care about the dowry issue, but Mary Kate refuses to consummate the marriage until her irritable brother pays up. Father Peter Lonergan (reliable Ward Bond) conspires to trick Will into paying his due to Mary Kate/Sean. They suggest that widow Sarah Tillane, for whom Will loves, will marry him if he'll give his consent to the marriage & hand over the dowry. But Will discovers that he's been tricked and the situation remains stagnant (with the Sean frustratingly locked out of Mary Kate's bedroom). They argue. They make up. And everything culminates with a fight; where, to prove himself to Mary Kate, Sean must summon his dormant fighting skills to give Will the thrashing he deserves. The fight? Well, it's a howler; covering several acres of land. I mean, hey, these people ARE Irish after all.
'The Quiet Man' is a wonderfully romantic melodrama that focuses more on characters, setting, atmosphere, & humor than on actual plot. But it is highly enjoyable & contains more than a few memorable sequences. I'm reminded of an iconic scene in which Sean & Mary Kate have flee their 'chaperone' & taken off on their own. They're caught in a downpour & draw close to each other for shelter, with Mary Kate's head resting against Sean's chest. It's just a quiet, but intensely romantic moment that both actors play with great tenderness. The image is burned in my memory.
I also loved the scene when Sean finally tames Mary Kate (near the end). With the townsfolk in their wake, he drags Mary Kate over hill & dale. The sequence IS choreographed, yet there's a spontaneous frivolity to the way it plays out; full credit goes to Wayne & O'Hara. Finally, there's the big fight at the end btwn. Sean & Will, which spills in, out, up, down, & all over the pub, Main Street, & countryside of the town. What distinguishes this fight is that director John Ford opts to keep the tone light so there's no sense of danger coming to either man. And the resolution of this fight fits perfectly with the tone of the proceedings & how it will end.
Visually, 'The Quiet Man' is just lovely to watch. The rich color cinematography really makes wonderful use of the lush Irish locales. The production design of the quaint old world town is adorable. And let's face it, Maureen O'Hara isn't exactly hard on the eyes {John Wayne, too of course}. Yes, everything about 'The Quiet Man' is absolutely lovely. The direction, performances ... all lovely & light. Irish-born Maureen O'Hara is the perfect match/foil for Wayne. O'Hara plays Mary Kate with the fire expected from a redhead, but her beauty, warmth, & vulnerability shine through.
John Wayne's Thornton is the kind of guy every man wishes he could be & every woman wishes she could be with. Wayne imparts strength, a sense of 'quiet', & good-naturedness. Cast against type, Wayne pulls off this romantic melodrama role with aplomb, largely because his tremendous screen presence allows him to get away with gaffes that would sink other actors. And his chemistry with O'Hara (they'd go on to make 4 films together) is unmatched. Ward Bond is also great as Father Peter, a likeable, pragmatic character who embodies the type of priest we'd all like to know. Victor McLaglen is an absolute hoot as 'Red' Will Danaher. And I enjoyed Barry Fitzgerald as the matchmaker who chaperones Sean & Mary Kate's courtship.
'The Quiet Man' is a classic. I can see why it won Best Director at the Academy Awards. But I don't think it's a classic BECAUSE of the direction or even the script. It's not that type of movie. It's not groundbreaking or literate. Wayne, O'Hara, the setting, congenial hijinks on display ... it all comprises a great, classic romantic melodrama that just washes over you like an old Irish fable or folk song. It's got that quiet magic.