Higiene sexual

In this, among the most cruelly overlooked of his oeuvre, that great auteur John Ford explores his recurring themes of army life and male friendship. He looks frankly at the darker side of camaraderie, and (atypically for him) presents a drunken night out as something that can have dire consequences. But still, his viewpoint is one of overwhelming respect for his characters. These men may have syphilis, Ford seems to be saying, but they're still men.

Some may accuse Ford of misrepresentation in Sex Hygiene, claiming he exaggerates the dangers of sexual intercourse, just as he romanticised the story of Wyatt Earp in My Darling Clementine. But we should remember that this film is a product of its time, and we can overlook these inaccuracies for the sake of the interest that it has for any film scholar.

Sex Hygiene has everything you could look for in a Ford picture – humour, emotion and a kind of rugged honesty about human relationships. If it weren't for the necessities of the war period, he probably would have chosen to set it at a cavalry outpost in the Old West. It is essential viewing for all Ford fans, and deserves to be recognised as one of his best. Francois Truffaut would have agreed.

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