In this John Ford offering you really get to see the camera as a person keeping the company of the protagonist. It acts as a companion, displaying an intimacy that enables the viewer to discover the story through the unfolding of events. The camera is the star of this film rather than the principal actor, threading its way through the story to identify the key plot points. This is pure cinema in the silent era, and demonstrates shades of 1950s Alfred Hitchcock. I like the way how John Ford stands behind the film to allow the characters to reveal their inner life. He probes their feelings with his camera, and without the hindrance of dialogue we are engaged in the torture of their souls.
Review of The Fighting Brothers
