This is quite simply, one of John Ford's greatest films, and one of the greatest films ever made. It is unconscionable that not only was this film overlooked by the American Film Institute, but also by IMDb voters. Only 900 have bothered to vote for this classic? And then give it only a rating of 8.0?
Much better reviews of "The Quiet Man" have been written, so I won't waste time trying to outdo them. But I will say that I believe that this isn't the misogynist dream that some feminists believe this film to be. The worst thing that Sean Thornton does to Mary Kate is drag her back to her brother to demand the dowry. Remember, this comes AFTER she strands him in town and he is forced to walk home. But Thornton is a gentleman that refuses to beat a woman. When he comes back home from his long walk, Mary Kate offers him a stick, expecting Sean to beat her as punishment for leaving him in town. Instead he throws it in the fire. Later, when he is dragging Mary Kate along on the famous "good stretch of the legs" march, Sean meets a villager who gives him a stick to "beat the wife" with. Even though he is hopping mad, Sean throws away the stick. People who watch the entire movie know that Sean loves Mary Kate because of, not in spite of, her fiery spirit, and wants to be her partner, not her master. "The Quiet Man" is a wonderful romance that deserves to be seen more often than on St. Patrick's Day.
Much better reviews of "The Quiet Man" have been written, so I won't waste time trying to outdo them. But I will say that I believe that this isn't the misogynist dream that some feminists believe this film to be. The worst thing that Sean Thornton does to Mary Kate is drag her back to her brother to demand the dowry. Remember, this comes AFTER she strands him in town and he is forced to walk home. But Thornton is a gentleman that refuses to beat a woman. When he comes back home from his long walk, Mary Kate offers him a stick, expecting Sean to beat her as punishment for leaving him in town. Instead he throws it in the fire. Later, when he is dragging Mary Kate along on the famous "good stretch of the legs" march, Sean meets a villager who gives him a stick to "beat the wife" with. Even though he is hopping mad, Sean throws away the stick. People who watch the entire movie know that Sean loves Mary Kate because of, not in spite of, her fiery spirit, and wants to be her partner, not her master. "The Quiet Man" is a wonderful romance that deserves to be seen more often than on St. Patrick's Day.