The Quiet Man (1952)
John Ford’s ‘The Quiet Man’
Thematic Elements: The Quiet Man is viewed by many as
John Ford’s most romantic film (if not one of his only ones). However, upon my
viewing of the movie, I noticed the abundance of perspective and subjective
rules and traditions that play a role. By the end of the movie, all the
characters have mutual respect and admiration for each other. However, this was
not always the case. But why? Mary Kate would not confirm the marriage until
she received her dowry from her brother, which was to have been demanded by her
husband. Will would not provide the dowry because he is upset at Sean for
buying the land he wanted and for the townspeople tricking him. Sean doesn’t
want to ask for the downy because he doesn’t see it as necessary for his union,
and he doesn’t want to confront Will because he knows he’s capable of killing
him if a fight were to ensue. All these characters let their personal values
and/or traditions get in the way of each other’s happiness. Once they were able
to understand each other’s values and compromise, they all benefited. Mary Kate
admitted that she simply wanted her brother’s respect and her husband’s
courage. Sean was able to show the courage his wife was wanting even though it
led to a brawl. And Will was able to respect Sean after the conflict and let go
of his previous resentments. The movie shows just how critical personal values
are to the individual and how they can sometimes limit you from reaching
understanding with others.
Camerawork: This John Ford film primarily focuses on
the beauty of the environment. The vast Irish landscape plays as a backdrop to
the squabbling and petty differences between the characters. It is as if Ford
is showing just how silly these differences are by showing how small they are
compared to the beauty and scope of the world that surrounds them. This becomes
a visual style later used by the filmmaker Terrence Malick in his films.
Best Shot:
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