The movie starts and gives you a little glimpse at the town down the line, and it looks so grimy. All of a sudden, it cuts to the time of the story, and I thought wow, this looks awesome. This turned out to be one of the best looking movies I've seen, and I was amazed to find out that John Ford had an 80 acre studio built recreating an old Welsh mining town. The musical score was also perfection.
I think visually that Ford is one of the strongest directors, in a lot of his greatest films he uses a 4:3 frame which is quite uncommon nowadays, but he uses is to pack in so much detail and use foreground, background, figures, shadows etc. perfectly...
Here's another great image from
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon where I was blown away by the cinematography.
Going in, I assumed this was a western. I guess what I'd call it now is part family drama and part coming of age story. It's a subtle movie, with no discernible plot and no stand out characters. What it does extremely well though, is capture the reality of a time and place like that. I was even thinking at times that I wouldn't mind living there. The family is very normal and extremely likable.
I don't know if you know this, but the movie is set in Wales, where I live, so it was cool for me to see such a great film set here, and I think it's a perfect environment for Ford. He seemed to have a love for homely, close-knit communities so the mining valleys is perfect for him. I've heard lots of stories about them and this country, and its a perfect match for Ford: a national pride, hard work, family values etc., a mix of some more conservative/national values mixed with more socialist working class elements.
Character's likability is not always important, but I think it was an important key in this particular movie. That's what makes the seemingly mundane become important to the viewer. The movie got better as it went along, and then even more so after I shut it off and thought about it-a great sign for a strong lasting impression. What perhaps surprised me most was the emotion I felt. I think it's a very powerful movie, especially with how it's not forced. I was wondering if there was some connection or influence with Ford and Ozu.
I've only seen one Ozu but I can see that. I think Ford is deceptively simple. His films are straightforward, there's not quick cuts, close ups, or anything too complicated yet both in terms of imagery and story there are immense depths behind them. The camera lets actions, places/sets, gestures and all merge to paint a picture a lot more powerful than a lot of films.
I loved it, and would have been happy if it were twice as long. It's the best movie I've seen this year, and not only a leading contender for the top spot on my Hall of Fame ballot, but for the top spot on my list for the upcoming 40's countdown.
Thank you Cricket, it's a great feeling to see someone enjoy a film I love so much too