Cross-cultural misunderstandings get examined in this movie known for its big ending. But forget the ending, and forget the Irish stereotypes... If you're a student of human behavior, the movie is full of little bits of business that are charming and amusing, and which allow viewers to recognize real life on the screen. The strong, silent man who refuses to raise his hand in violence is a trope that Hollywood can't get enough of... and I'm no John Wayne fan. But this movie (as opposed to the westerns) convinces me he could act. He's very appealing, embodying a forgiving, easy-going ruggedness. "Quiet Man" is neither the usual Ford sentiment, or a lesser Wayne vehicle. Barry Fitzgerald is fondly remembered for his very funny lines here (their delivery is so distinct and vivid) but he has some visual nonsense that's just as comic. I could turn down the volume and he'd still make me laugh. Victor McLaglen is also perfect as the brutish heavy. Every time I see this I find new things to chuckle over. It's very well-directed.
One of the tenderest of love scenes in any movie is when John Wayne troops home after a blow-up and abandonment by O'Hara in town. Instead of the blow-up we expect, both characters choose to de-escalate; she wordlessly lights his cigarette and sits in his lap; both of them knowing that words get them into trouble. As they sit staring into the fire, in a chair that doesn't accommodate them too well, he pulls her arm around him. It's one of the loveliest, most enduring images of love I can think of in the movies. There are half a dozen detentes in the movie that are as affecting.
The story is subtle and charming, an extremely well-written comic romance. Is is authentic to Ireland? Beats me... but it couldn't be truer to the long tradition of American humor if Mark Twain wrote it. I'm glad I own a copy of this despite the horrid color transfer.
One of the tenderest of love scenes in any movie is when John Wayne troops home after a blow-up and abandonment by O'Hara in town. Instead of the blow-up we expect, both characters choose to de-escalate; she wordlessly lights his cigarette and sits in his lap; both of them knowing that words get them into trouble. As they sit staring into the fire, in a chair that doesn't accommodate them too well, he pulls her arm around him. It's one of the loveliest, most enduring images of love I can think of in the movies. There are half a dozen detentes in the movie that are as affecting.
The story is subtle and charming, an extremely well-written comic romance. Is is authentic to Ireland? Beats me... but it couldn't be truer to the long tradition of American humor if Mark Twain wrote it. I'm glad I own a copy of this despite the horrid color transfer.