Review of Judge Priest (1934) by James H — 12 Sep 2009

Ford' Judge Priest covers what the opening lines written by Irvin Cobb(author of the books) calls "tragedies and comedies" that are still very much alive in "grown men's minds" several years after the civil war has ended, the approach is simple Will Rogers is Judge Priest the film covers him and his community.

Ford versatility as a storyteller is in full swing, some have even pointed out that the first and second half feel like two different films. The first being a laid back examination of Priests relevance to his community including his nephew and a vagrant he saved from the chain gang and even dialogue with his deceased wife (Ford's sense of spirituality would re-surface in his later films) this half is almost devoid of traditional structure.The second half is far more dramatic, centering around a case of assault and battery and questioning Priest's legitimacy. It's also more presentational as seen in a war flashback at the end that looks like a segment form Birth of a Nation told in an almost expressionist fashion.

This dynamic of film is a nice example of Ford's tendency to combine comedy and drama the key example being that the film begins and ends with courtroom sequence the first one concerning the vagrant stealing a chicken and the second being a charge of battery of a civil war vet. What this does is show how Ford's insights were so inept that he could showcases the smaller nuances in life ("there ain't nothing prettier than two young folks in love in the summer") but at the same time foreshadow a kind of darker skepticism that would be more dominant in his later films, hinting that perhaps Priest's take on community may still give way to decay and even corruption or at least are never far from home.

Ford was too proud to ever actually call himself an artist but perhaps he didn't need to, his work spoke for him. Ford had a fundamental understanding of cinema and it's ability to capture humanity while seemingly doing nothing and this why so many of his films require repeated viewings to help comprehend Ford's ability, when it comes to placing a camera few artist come close to him, whether it be a shot of two young lovers conversing or a civil war sequence(here we see both). I think its far from his best film but it incorporates elements Ford loved and ones he was skeptical about but didn't keep him from filming. Then of course some will complain about African American stereotypes however while their parts don't offer much variety Ford(and Priest as if they were one in the same) treats them with a great deal of integrety.