It is time that this film attracted a spot of revisionist criticism. I enjoy it every time .. and yet there's much to object to, beyond the stereotypical portrayal of the Irish. Sean Thornton is only a hero in our own terms. He wades into a community, conveniently getting to buy his childhood home, then flouts every cultural rule of the place: behaving improperly outside church, running away from the chaperone during courtship, tricking his fiance's brother in order to marry her, misunderstanding the importance to his wife of her dowry, and grossly mistreating her in public. Yet it all ends happily. It would be nice to conclude that this film is an ironic comment on stereotypes and the behaviour of a brutal, culturally insensitive man in the grip of a fantasy about his Irish roots Unfortunately, I'm sure Ford meant it straight. The vigour and the scenery add a gloss that makes a very questionable story highly watchable.
Review of The Quiet Man
