The Quiet Man

THE QUIET MAN (PG)

D: John Ford

Republic / Argosy (John Ford & Merian C. Cooper)

US 🇺🇸 1952

129 mins

Romance/Drama/Comedy

W: Frank S. Nugent [based on the short story by Maurice Walsh]

DP: Winton C. Hoch 

Ed: Jack Murray

Mus: Victor Young

John Wayne (Sean Thornton), Maureen O’Hara (Mary Kate Danaher), Barry Fitzgerald (Michaeleen ‘Óge’ Flynn), Victor McLaglen (‘Red’ Bill Danaher), Ward Bond (Father Lonergan)

Whilst The Quiet Man may be one of John Wayne’s best ever films, I can’t say it’s one of his best performances. In fact, I’d say he’s the only player in John Ford’s romantic comedy-drama who is miscast in the role.

Wayne plays Sean Thornton, a retired boxer who returns home to an Irish village in County Mayo. On his return, he takes the eye of fiery red-head Mary Kate Danaher, but her brother does not approve of their courting, as per old Irish custom and tradition.

Maureen O’Hara truly is excellent as the love interest, and the supporting characters played by Barry Fitzgerald & Victor McLaglen are also great, but the true star of the picture is Winton C. Hoch’s breathtaking cinematography of the real Irish locations.

John Ford’s not really a director I’d associate with comedy, and the comedy here is quite dated, but it still works reasonably well as a time portal romantic drama and probably would have been better were it not for the attempts of humour that don’t quite land.

7/10