This is the last of the Oscar Retrospectives in the mini-series "The Winner Is John Ford," focusing on the cinematic years for which John Ford won three of his four Oscars for Best Director (we already looked at 1935, the year he won his first for The Informer).
The Quiet Man was John Ford's passion project. It's the movie that he'd been wanting to make since 1933, constantly researching, rewriting, and re-developing. First, it was a politically-tinged drama, something more akin to The Informer; by the time it hit the big screen, it was a fish-out-of-water romantic-comedy; in every iteration, however, it was a valentine to his parents' homeland, Ireland. Ford was born in Maine, but his parents were both Irish (his mother, according to Searching for John Ford, only really knew Gaelic). Throughout his life, he clung to his heritage and gave time and attention to Irish causes and stories. His Westerns and war films would usually have at least one "stock" Irish character - Barry Fitzgerald dependably on hand, as he is in The Quiet Man; an admirer of the playwright Sean O'Casey, he directed an adaptation of the work The Plough and the Stars and produced a biopic, Young Cassidy; and any criticism people have of How Green Was My Valley is usually directed at how the Welshmen are written as, played by, and treated like Irishmen. But that was Ford. The Quiet Man was finally, finally, his chance to tell an Irish story in an Irish setting with Irish actors - and in color, showing off the beauty of the land. They say passion projects can be doomed to failure, but not only has The Quiet Man maintained its status in cinema - it won Ford his record-breaking fourth Oscar:
It is a feat not likely to be bested any time soon. Only two other directors have even won three, and both of them - Frank Capra and William Wyler - are long dead. Another interesting point: Picture-Director splits are rare, but How Green Was My Valley is the only time Ford won Best Director and the movie Best Picture. The Quiet Man, as we know, lost the big honor to The Greatest Show on Earth, produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille.
DeMille was also up for Best Director. In 1950, he was given an Honorary Oscar for "37 years of brilliant showmanship"; if the intention was to salute a man at the twilight of his career, it was premature. That same year, his Samson and Delilah became the highest-grossing film; two years later came The Greatest Show on Earth, again, the highest-grossing film of its release year. So, finally, the brilliant showman became a Best Director nominee for the first and only time. He joined a slate that included not only his old friend Ford, but John Huston, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and Fred Zinnemann.
This slate, in fact:
Cecil B. DeMille for The Greatest Show on Earth
****
only nomination in this category; Golden Globe winner for Best Director; DGA Awards nominee for Outstanding Directorial Achievement, NYFCC Awards second runner-up for Best Director
The man puts on a hell of a show, you cannot deny it. Only DeMille could wrangle a spectacle this size. And I know he's not the writer, but that he makes every single character and cast member distinguishable through casting and costuming and makeup, even if it's just Lawrence Tierney and his thugs, makes a difference when dealing with such an ensemble. Action sequences are, of course, wonderful: the trapeze performances, the climactic train wreck...and I would count the suspense of an elephant's foot poised ready to crush Gloria Grahame's skull as action. It is not the most subtle film, but he's not going for that, is he?
John Ford for The Quiet Man
*****
past three-time winner, fifth and final nomination; DGA Awards winner for Oustanding Directorial Achievement; Golden Globe nominee for Best Director
He makes a real community out of this Irish town: we know its streets, we know its people, and so everything that happens to and around them affects us like they are our friends. We are, after all, John Wayne here: we fall in love with Maureen O'Hara because of the way Ford films her through his eyes, feel the exhaustion of the climactic bout because we stumble along with him from the first punch, and understand the wordless flashback and all it suggests, so in tune are we with the hero. The horse race, the Kiss, that flashback, the Squire's proposal, Barry Fitzgerald's reaction to the broken bed, and that final montage of every cast member waving goodbye - one of cinema's great curtain calls, reminding you of all the friends you've made over this runtime - these are moments that stick with you. Ford gets these moments because, well, he's just great.
John Huston for Moulin Rouge
****
Feels very personal, this story of an artist attracted to the rougher, grubbier sides of life while simultaneously luxuriating in his own intellect, all the while daunted by an established father whom he resembles. Well, OK, personal to a point, but there's no denying Huston's passion for this film. The opening floor show at the Moulin Rouge is exciting and has an intoxicating effect, no wonder Toulouse stays night after night. Too, there's the visual element, Huston's attention to detail making sure that the cinematography, the sets, the costumes, the makeup, everything looks as though a piece of art has come to life (one recalls the dream ballet in An American in Paris, put to grittier effect).
Joseph L. Mankiewicz for 5 Fingers
***
past two-time winner, third of four directing nominations; DGA Awards nominee for Outstanding Directorial Achievement
It's a fun film, a breezy good time watching an Englishman betray his country not for principles but for money. Mankiewicz navigates a delicate tone that allows us to see how the Germans could have won WWII, if only they didn't overestimate their own intelligence and know-how; how the British could have caught a spy in their midst, if only they looked at servants as people, not wallpaper; how an expert spy could have gotten away with everything, were it not for a sloppy urgency he, himself, created. He juggles it all expertly, delivering a thriller that's really more of a comedy.
Fred Zinnemann for High Noon
*****
second of seven nominations in this category; NYFCC Awards winner for Best Director; DGA Awards nominee for Outstanding Directorial Achievement
Anyway, talk about mastery of tone and pacing! Every shot of a clock, every leisurely walk set to the metronomic theme song, every dash Grace Kelly makes across town, reminds you that time is running short and death is near. It's a mark of Zinnemann's confidence and the times that a film dependent on the ticking clock can make us feel that tension without trying to "zhuzh" up anything in between. There are still debates amongst townspeople, arguments between old lovers, tough lessons learned from old friends. Zinnemann lets every element unfold unhurriedly, yet pressed for time. And that final shootout is breathtaking.
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Very cool that Ford has four Oscars, but my vote goes to:
FRED ZINNEMANN
for
HIGH NOON
Tomorrow, my personal Top Ten Films of 1952!
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