One of the greatest directors of the silver screen, John Ford once again filmed a masterpiece in The Long Voyage Home. The movie isn't actually that good, but the direction is fantastic. He uses interesting and inventive camera angles on the ship, and the storm sequence is so believable, I'd almost say I didn't know how he did it. If you're a Ford fan but have only seen his westerns, rent this one. It's a little slow, but that's to be expected. Life on a ship can be very slow, and as the title suggests, it's a long voyage. Plus, it's a story by Eugene O'Neill, so that's a guarantee of slowness.
The cast includes John Wayne and Ward Bond, of course, and Thomas Mitchell as the lead. John Qualen, Barry Fitzgerald, Ian Hunter, Arthur Shields, and Rafaela Ottiano make up the supporting cast. You'll also see Mildred Natwick for a few minutes in a role she never played again: a prostitute! You might notice John Wayne hardly talks during this movie, but he had a reason for it: he plays someone Swedish, and he was very self-conscious about putting on a Swedish accent. Isn't that cute?
If you have patience, this is a staple of classic film direction. If you'd rather watch something a little quicker paced or with a shorter running time, you can check out Ford's masterpiece The Hurricane. It's amazing the effects he created with water and no computer graphics.
The cast includes John Wayne and Ward Bond, of course, and Thomas Mitchell as the lead. John Qualen, Barry Fitzgerald, Ian Hunter, Arthur Shields, and Rafaela Ottiano make up the supporting cast. You'll also see Mildred Natwick for a few minutes in a role she never played again: a prostitute! You might notice John Wayne hardly talks during this movie, but he had a reason for it: he plays someone Swedish, and he was very self-conscious about putting on a Swedish accent. Isn't that cute?
If you have patience, this is a staple of classic film direction. If you'd rather watch something a little quicker paced or with a shorter running time, you can check out Ford's masterpiece The Hurricane. It's amazing the effects he created with water and no computer graphics.