Review of The Quiet Man (1952) by Ben M — 26 Jul 2010

No question, one of John Ford's finest movies and one of John Wayne's best performances. The Quiet man is a quaint little movie that combines a sweepingly romantic story, clever humor, and beautiful cinematography to a perfect concoction of a great John Ford movie. What makes it extra special, is the perfect chemistry between its two leads and suprise! John Wayne doesn't play a G.I. or a cowboy! He really shows his merit as an actor, giving a subtle and sensitive yet still brooding with masculinity take on one of his most perplexing characters. The film is a must-see for all good catholics and Irishmen alike.

The studio originally wanted to shoot the film outside its actual location, but thank god John Ford went to Ireland to shoot this movie! It has to be one of the most beautiful films ever made. A feast for your eyes, the sparkly and rolling green hills of Ireland are expertly captured and the early use of technicolor is flawless. If you need a movie that you can turn off the sound and just appreciate the beauty of the film, I would say that Lawrence of Arabia and this film would both be on that list.

It is when you listen to it though, that the movie really shines. The film is cleverly humorous with many aspects of Irish culture weaved into its story. The film follows Sean Thornton, a retired prizefighter who goes to his homeland after a fatal knockout leaves his career in shambles. he quickly falls in love with a young woman but their love is soon troubled as her brother refuses to give up the dowry and their wedding is deemed unofficial to Irish customs. The dowry will not be given up without a fight, so Sean must soon come out of his newly pacifist shell and face his enemy through the passion of his love.

John Wayne never really struck me as an actor, but his performance in this movie makes up for even his biggest flops (Yes, even The Green Berets). It was great seeing him play the non-aggressor but as the film builds up to the famous "Queensbury rules" fight, it was still nice to see classic Duke in action. Maureen O'Hara is also a strong performer, she reminds me a lot of my sister in this film so I felt a bit more personally connected to her character. What usually makes rom-coms fail is a lack of chemistry, thankffully this film has perfect chemistry between the couple, which makes for a sweepingly romantic and richly fufilling film.

I am a good Catholic boy, so I automatically loved the Irish culture and the romance was one of my favorite save maybe Casablanca. If you love Ireland, romance, or just want to see the Duke in a non-typecasted role, The Quiet Man is a perfect movie.