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The Quiet Man

Other // PG // $19.95

Review by Chuck Arrington | posted March 17, 2000

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Recommended

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R E V I E W S

Graphical Version

Synopsis: Sean Thornton (John Wayne) is an American who swears off boxing after accidentally killing an opponent. Returning to the Irish town of his birth, he finds true happiness when he falls in love with the fiery Mary Kate (Maureen O'Hara). His resolve is tested however as the town bully won't give up until Sean picks up the gloves to prove quiero es mas macho! (Who is manlier!) To make matters worse, the bully is Kate's brother! When Mary Kate & Sean wed, her bully brother refuses to pay the dowry in an attempt to goad Sean into fighting him. Rather than fight him, he walks away. Much to the dismay of his new wife who goes so far as to call him a coward. Totally out of hand, his wife prepares to leave him because of his refusal to fight her brother. Faced with the imminent departure of his wife, Sean puts on the gloves & takes out his collected aggression on you know whom! The resultant brawl is probably the longest fight in cinematic history and it's worth every minute! The Quiet Man is a classic that should be in every home.

Audio: For a 48-year-old film you won't get 5.1 Dolby digital stereo. But you will get a Mono track that does remarkably well for its age. It wouldn't be bad to have the sounds of Ireland all about you as you watch the Quiet Man but I kinda like it the way it is. It creates a nostalgic feel that really puts you in the mood for the feature.

Video: Grainy, grainy and more grainy! This is too good a film to suffer from such a poor transfer. I have no clue as to what the source materials look like but, I can only hope that when this film is revisited it will receive the kind of treatment it richly deserves. In addition to the grainy elements the colors seemed washed out and dull. in total a very dissapointing visual presentation.

Extras: The extras included on this disc are the trailer for the feature and a making of documentary with Leonard Maltin. While I am not a fan of Maltin's opinions, he seems to be right on the money in his assessment of this particular film.

Overall: John Wayne was never my hero. That honor is reserved for and has been held by my dad for over 30 years. That having been said, I really liked the manly qualities Wayne embodied in this film. He has always been "A Man's Man", and in The Quiet Man he really wears that well. John Ford was one of the greatest directors of his time and The Quiet Man is a testament to the kind of incredible filmmaking efforts he put forth. Definitely recommended.