One thing I get asked a lot when people find out I went to school for film is what is my favorite movie. Trying to narrow down one specific movie as my favorite can give me a headache because I love so many movies. I guess if I had to narrow down my favorite film to one all time movie I'd have to say it would be The Quiet Man. I watch this film all the time and have a tradition of watching it every St. Patrick's Day. The Quiet Man was directed by John Ford in 1952 and stars John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. The premise of this film is that Sean Thornton(Wayne) is a natural born Irishman who left with his mother to the United States when he was a kid. He's returning to Ireland as a man looking to settle into his home village of his family and live a quiet life. While settling in he comes across the fiery Danahers. He immediately makes an enemy of Will Danaher when he out bids Danaher for the Thornton family home which really makes things interesting when Thornton falls for Danaher's sister Mary Kate(Maureen O'Hara). John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara are in my opinion the greatest onscreen pair in film history. They were both larger and life and were really the only ones that could stand up and be the equal of the other. John Wayne is one of the most iconic symbols of American Film in film history. He is the quintessential symbol of masculinity in American Society. He won an Oscar for Best Actor for his role of Rooster Cogburn. Maureen O'Hara was known as the Queen of Technicolor because of her red hair. She was known for playing strong willed heroines which made her the only actress to ever be able to fully stand equal with John Wayne on the big screen. I close second would be Kathrine Hepburn who starred along side Wayne in Rooster Cogburn and the Lady.
Back to The Quiet Man, the village conspires to help Sean and Mary Kate get married but unfortunately Danaher figures out the ruse on the day of the wedding and refuses to pay his sister's dowry. The refusal of the dowry and Thornton's refusal to fight his brother-in-law makes Mary Kate ashamed of her husband and won't accept the marriage until the dowry is paid. Mary Kate's feelings about the dowry are an interesting jusxtaposition because it is established early on in the film that her character is a very strong woman but then her desire of following through on such an old fashion and chauvinistic tradition seems to clash with her strong will causing strain with her new husband. In the end John Wayne has to decide if his love is worth fighting for despite a dark shadow from his past.........(nope no spoilers watch the movie).
When you watch the movie you can both feel and see that this was a movie John Ford had a lot of passion to make. The cinematography is truly breath taking and Ford fully captures the beauty of Ireland. The story is fully engaging and is filled with characters and pretty much every Irish stereotype that you will remember and love, plus the soundtrack will get stuck in your head at one point or another. If you can watch an older movie without getting distracted by say a squirrel and you haven't seen this movie I can't say more to recommend it. You won't be disappointed.
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