El hombre tranquilo

I'll spare you with the plot description (others on this page have done so), but there are reasons why I love this film.

First, the performances. Wayne as the re-patriated Irish-American, O'Hara as the fiesty Mary Kate, Fitzgerald as the sly little old man, Bond as the strong-willed priest, and McLaglen as the blustering blow-hard. Directed by John Ford, they were unconquerable.

Second, the cinematography. The landscapes are lush and rolling. The interior shots are filled with little details that add so much to the scene. You can almost imagine what the Cohen's pub must smell like ("Over here, we pronounce it, CO-han!"). And in almost every shot, there is the color green.

Third, the writing and the lines. My family quotes the film like gospel. I was helping to move a bed into a house, and as I entered through the front door, I somberly spoke "God bless all here." We all got the joke.

Fourth, the music. So perfectly chosen and composed. It adds to each and every scene.

Fifth, the fight scene. A classic Irish donnybrook!

So many things about this film I cherish. Also, it's one of the few films that John Wayne doesn't shoot a gun! A marvelous, marvelous film! In their book "The Big Damn Book of Sheer Manliness", the Von Hoffman brothers called this film one of the "top 25 greatest guy movies of all time". Who am I to argue?