John Ford: Dreaming The Quiet Man

This feature-length documentary on The Quiet Man (1952)—one of legendary American director John Ford's most beloved films—looks at the making of the movie, as well as its background and inspiration. Ford was a proud Irish-American (he was born John Martin Feeney and changed his name in Hollywood) who fell in love with the story by Maurice Walsh and spent 20 years trying to make a film, refusing to compromise on his vision for a romantic Technicolor drama shot on location in Ireland. Director Sé Merry Doyle provides a survey of Ford's career, offering insights into the contradictory character of the filmmaker (star Maureen O'Hara describes her complicated and sometimes trying relationship with Ford, who was in love with her and showed it by tormenting her). Dreaming The Quiet Man also looks at how the Irish have embraced the movie, to the point of transforming the town of Cong—standing in as the fictional village of Innisfree—into a tribute to the film. Also interviewed are filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Peter Bogdanovich, Ford biographer Joseph McBride, and Irish locals involved in the film, and the documentary incorporates color home movie footage taken on the set. Falling somewhere between a standalone documentary and a special-edition supplement, this will be of interest to hardcore film buffs and John Ford fans. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (S. Axmaker)