The Quiet Man

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Lucy N 03/10/2024 This is my favorite movie. Great memories watching with my dad. See more Melanie 03/18/2021 A classic! Well cast and well acted! A joy! Only negative: Thestre had sound set too loud. 😞 See more Joyce 03/17/2021 A true "feel good" movie with old-fashioned movie stars. Loved it!! See more Matthew D Nov 21 A wonderful Irish film with a charming Maureen O’Hara and tough John Wayne. Director John Ford’s romantic comedy-drama The Quiet Man (1952) is quite a pleasant surprise. John Ford’s direction shows off the lush natural countryside of Ireland, old Irish traditions, quaint Irish people, a massive boxing match, and true love. Ford nails repeating comedic gags and all leading up to one hilarious brawl. The Irish courting is very funny. Writers John Ford and Frank S. Nugent came up with funny jokes, a playful romance drama, and cute Irish aspects. It’s neat how Ford got John Wayne to really act well for once in a nice character study. Author Maurice Walsh’s story is fascinating with an interesting romance with an Irish bride who wants her dowry, a society and brother that demands traditions, and a boxer guilty over having killed a man in the ring. The ruthless boxing finale is very impressive from Ford. I loved the dreamy flashback to the lethal past of Wayne’s boxing hero that feels ahead of its time. Editor Jack Murray pulls off plenty of surprising cuts to keep the story moving and clear. The stunning Irish countryside with lush trees, vast green fields, watery shores, and carefully framed pubs by cinematographer Winton C. Hoch is breathtaking. John Wayne is tough, thoughtful, romantic, entertaining, and versatile as Irish-American boxer Sean Thornton, who returns to Ireland to start a new life. Wayne is quite surprising in one of his most natural and charming performances. Maureen O'Hara is wonderful as the fiery redhead Mary Kate Danaher, with her stubborn personality. O’Hara nails Mary Kate’s traditional values and desire for her dowry and independence in this world as a new wife. She’s very entertaining opposite Wayne. Barry Fitzgerald is hysterical as the Irish old man Michaeleen "Óge" Flynn, who helps Sean any way he can. Victor McLaglen is imposing and amusing as Mary Kate’s older brother Squire "Red" Will Danaher. He’s just crazy and ferocious in The Quiet Man. Ward Bond’s pleasant and kind Father Peter Lonergan with his own morals is very funny too. Mildred Natwick is so silly and fun as the Widow Sarah Tillane. Arthur Shields is wonderful as the Rev. Cyril Playfair. Composer Victor Young’s film score is spry and lively with a nice romantic theme. The Irish folk tunes by Richard Hayward are lovely too. Sound designers T.A. Carman and Howard Wilson record clear and crisp voice recordings of all these thick Irish accents. Costume designer Adele Palmer crafted cute Irish threads and colorful dresses. In short, The Quiet Man is pensive, funny, romantic, and touching. The final fight makes for a ton of laughs. See more Jason R Oct 6 John Wayne and Maureen O'hara's chemistry is there to see, can see why they did a few films together and were friends in real life, they complemented each other well on screen. See more Wayne K Aug 18 The Quiet Man is not the kind of film you can imagine being directed by the legendary John Ford. No rugged, desert landscapes, no cowboys, nothing especially brutal or harsh about the subject matter. It’s what you could call an early rom-com, full of comedically over the top locals, comic misunderstandings and zany characters. The tone is set right from the start, when John Wayne arrives at a sleepy Irish train station and is immediately bombarded with useless information from a group of kindly but hyperactive and contradictory residents. John Wayne’s presence on screen is undeniable, but he’s playing a character that’s much more paired back and understated than usual, a literal quiet man who’d like to get by with the minimum amount of fuss. He’s well supported by Maureen O’Hara, a fiery redhead whose romance with Wayne is much more mature than you usually get in films of this nature, but that’s likely because of the time period and the names involved. It can feel overlong at times, but there’s plenty of comedy to laugh at and earnest drama to get involved in. Not your typical Ford film, but its one we should be very grateful he decided to make. See more Read all reviews

The Quiet Man

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