The Quiet Man

After the end of his professional career, American boxer Sean Thornton (John Wayne) moves to Ireland, his mother's homeland. There he not only finds the paradise his mother evoked, but he also falls instantly in love with Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O'Hara) - much to the displeasure of her brother, who thinks nothing of the American. John Ford had been trying to direct The Quiet Man since 1937. After he had dutifully finished filming Rio Grande for Republic, Herbert J. Yates allowed him to realize this passion project. With great success. The Quiet Man was not only Ford's most successful film to date, but also brought him (and Republic) two Oscars. (hb) "The film is a fairy tale from start to finish that cannot possibly be confused with reality. What ultimately counts most are the wonderful images, some of which are intensely luminous, but some of which also have what Manny Farber called 'the sunless, remembered look of a surrealist painting.' (...) The Quiet Man is not legendary like The Searchers or profound like The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, but it is arguably the most unforgettable of them all.» (David Sterritt, cineaste.com)129 min. / color / 35 mm / E/d*