There are few romantic films that are as beloved and
cherished as John Ford’s beautiful and heartwarming classic, The Quiet Man.
Intended for years as a pet project, Ford hand selected the story, the stars
and the setting of Ireland in order to bring together many elements that meant
a great deal to him. Ford’s Irish heritage, and that of Wayne and O’Hara,
turned the film into a sort cinematic expression of anthropology, extending the
elements of the plot beyond simple mechanics and enlivening the whole film with
a passionate and joyful sense of place, family, and tradition (all very
consistent with Ford’s career). These elements reached into the lives of those
making the film, and in turn, these personal connections become visible to the
audience. In a sense, this film is as much a love story between Ford and his
fondness for Ireland and for heritage, as much as anything else. But the fact
that the film is buoyed by intense chemistry from Wayne and O’Hara, many
romantic scenes, and a charming, sexually playful tone, it’s hard to top this
film for sheer enjoyment.
Ford had read the short story by Maurice Walsh back in 1933
and had purchased the rights to the story but the film took years to take
shape. It’s a story of an Irish-born man named Sean Thornton who has been
living in America for much of his life, but who after giving up boxing on account
of a fatal bout he participated in, ends up desiring to return to his
birth-town of Inisfree to claim his family farm. Upon arriving in Ireland, he
finds that another man in town, Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen), wants the land
as well. Sean ends up gaining the rights to the farm, but earns an enemy in
Will Danaher at the same time. This wouldn’t be so bad, except that Sean
quickly has eyes for Will’s fiery sister, Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O’Hara).
Sean soon finds himself in a familial battle of wits, as he pushes against
tradition in order to ask Mary Kate’s hand in marriage without consent from
Will. Through some trickery from the townsfolk, Sean is able to wed Mary Kate,
however Will holds back the dowry that is owed to her. Mary Kate then decides
that she’s going to withhold…..ahem…..the goods from Sean until she gets her
dowry back. Thus, the film then turns into a sly and farcical bit of romantic
shenanigan-ism as the marriage remains unconsummated and the tension between
Sean and Will grows. That is until the final showdown between Sean and Will to
decide the fate of the marriage and to recoup the fateful dowry.
Even getting this film off the ground took a bit of doing
for Ford. It took some time to get financing, and this finally came from Republic
Pictures, who needed Ford and Wayne to do a moneymaking picture prior to
filming in order to fund the cost of The Quiet Man. They embarked on making Rio
Grande, which isn’t just notable for its standing amongst Ford’s westerns and
the Cavalry Trilogy, but also because it paired up Wayne and O’Hara for the
first time. It’s plain to see in Rio Grande that the two were a match made in
cinematic heaven. It’s no wonder that Ford had eyed these two stars for The
Quiet Man as well. Ford had of course worked with Wayne often, and with O’Hara
years earlier in How Green Was My Valley. But Ford’s brilliant pairing of Wayne
and O’Hara makes The Quiet Man into the memorable romantic picture that it is.
Many have noted how Wayne and O’Hara make a great onscreen pair and it has to
do with each having an equalizing presence upon the other, meaning that it
never quite seems like one is overshadowing the other. Their chemistry together
in this film forces them to have a physical and demanding experience together,
whether swinging punches at each other, scrambling through creeks and over lush
countrysides, and then squaring off in the bedroom for the rights to the upper
hand. Their passionate quarreling is only rivaled by their passionate kisses.
On multiple occasions, this film has some memorable kissing scenes. Probably
the most iconic moment is when Sean enters his farm for the first time to find
someone has been tidying up, and there’s a windstorm blowing. He manages to
scare Mary Kate out of the house and as the door bursts open, she runs to
leave, whereby he swings her back through the open door, then pulls her to him
for a kiss. Spielberg’s use of this scene in E.T. made it extra iconic, but
there are other memorable moments as well, like when the two kiss in the rain
in the cemetery. It’s such a lovely quiet moment between the two of them with
wordless interplay as O’Hara pulls in close to Wayne, with his shirt soaking
wet. Then there’s the scene on the wedding night as Sean breaks down the door,
pulls Mary Kate’s hair back and kisses her in a rough moment of passion. And
that’s what makes Wayne and O’Hara such a striking match, as their physicality
and passion is believable. So much so, that we can imagine what might happen
were they to hop into bed. Indeed, the film has lots of fun, stalling out the
consummation of marriage as long as it can possibly go for comedic effect. Like
when Michaeleen Oge Flyn (Barry Fitzgerald) happens to stop by the house
bringing furniture and catches a glimpse of the broken bed after the first
night of marriage, saying, “impetuous”, quietly to himself. Little does he
realize what caused the broken bed.
With many exterior shots filmed in Ireland, the film has a
strong sense of place, and a beautiful, lush look to it. The wonderful cinematography
of Winton C. Hoch adds much to the film and the on-location shooting is
enlivened wih elegant framing. Victor Young’s score incorporates many elements
of Irish tunes, giving the film a bouncing and jovial quality. Ford’s cast of
familiar characters like McLaglen, Ward Bond, and Mildred Natwick add color and
warmth to their roles, and many other parts were given to locals in Ireland as
well as various bit parts to family members of Wayne, O’Hara and Ford. It’s
Wayne and O’Hara that make everything shine, though, and their performances are
some of the finest of their careers. A couple moments are noteworthy. Wayne has
just had a beer tossed on his face and says in a rather matter of fact tone,
“bar towel”. He wipes his face and then asks for the time. He’s told it’s half
past five, and then proceeds to punch McLaglen. He does all this with such
perfect tone that it confirms that Wayne’s sense of comedic timing was one of
his most underrated skills. My favorite moment of O’Hara’s is the moment when Wayne
comes to the door to come courting. She nervously comes talking to her brother
at the table to ask for permission to go out with him. Her tone of voice here,
and the way she is almost out of breath with anxiousness and nervousness seems
real. You can hear the sexual charge within her, as she’s desperate to go out
with Sean, but can hardly contain her nerves. Beautiful acting.
In the realm of cinematic pairings, the best ones are the
ones in which you can believe the two really have eyes for each other, or at
least create characters whom you believe really want each other. In the final
moments of the film, Wayne and O’Hara are seen happily waving at Rev. Playfair
from the edge of their farm. This moment to me is one of the brilliant examples
of what makes this film work. Watching closely, we witness O’Hara whisper
something into Sean’s ear. They’re both grinning and then she turns and begins
to jaunt back to the house, with Sean soon running and tumbling after. And in
my mind, there’s only one place where they could possibly be headed.
