Introduction
Ford’s film “The Quiet Man” is believed to be one of the most famous Irish films. Until today, this film rests under the most prestigious and leading Irish film of all time. Despite its popularity, it has had a great deal of criticism mainly because of its stereotypical characters. The film’s character depiction gives rise to a wide range of issues in the film industry. Characterized by social commentary, The Quiet Man is centered on the human relationship story, shaded by Ford’s ubiquitous homesickness.
The film is inhabited by a group of actors with individual chemistry that contributes vitality present in their relationships. A closer look at the film’s content, one can conclude that its characters originate from something intense than the film’s script.
For this reason, the message delivered to the audience by the film has not been considered to be either Ireland’s past or present. Also, this film has offered its audience primarily an American pastoral perception of paradise lost. In line with James Mackillop’s essay “The Quiet One Speaks”, this paper will explore three ways in which the film is more American than Irish. Also, it will discuss how the story relies on Irish stereotypes despite it being a romantic comedy.
Analysis
Although, in a typical way the film appears to be Irish, there are several aspects of the film that make it more American than Irish. To begin with, although the film’s setting is from post-war Ireland, it focuses on (Sean Thornton), the central character, returning to Ireland, the land of his birth. On arriving, he buys a thatch-roofed house that has his family’s ancestral roots. The American element of the central character establishes the assumption that the story is more of an American character than an Irish.
Having lived in America for a greater part of his life, the main character graces the film with American ideologies throughout the play. Thirdly, the appearance of Mary Kate Danaher is also another aspect that makes the film more American than Irish. Although she was a native Irish, Mary was a sensation in Hollywood. Being a sensation in Hollywood, she can portray more of an American character than Irish.
Reliance on stereotypes in the film
Across the US, a remark on the quiet man sends a scarring effect on a person’s composure. This fact is evident among the Irish Americans of the ‘baby-boom’ era. In simple terms, this film has in recent years become an embodiment of an overemotional, scheming as well as a humiliating aspect of America and Ireland. From the first glance of this film, there is sufficient indication of the quiet man to strengthen this view.
Just like other Ford’s films, The Quiet Man is used to depict hope of a culture that finds pride in the role it played in defeating the powerful alliances in the Second World War. Also, it is still free of uncertainty that might have restricted the arrogance of undisputed confidence in US norms. Primarily, the film appears to move along the naive images of both the Irish life as well as American characters that involve chauvinistic Yankee protectionists and maudlin exiles. These characters had in turn despised and renowned, on stage, in print, as well as the e-media from the beginning of the 19th century to date. Despite its comic relief, the film entirely relies on stereotypes.
There are many instances that are used to explain that, despite the fact that The Quiet Man is a romantic comedy, it relies on stereotypes. Before condemning the romantic comedy as a planned insult of the Irish culture, there has been significant debate demeaning the film. As a result, stereotypical renditions of both the Irish and American cultures have generalized not only the routine but also the rhythm of Irish life.
The greater part of the film rests on Ireland, which is still clean and unspoiled with industrialism of the 20th century. However, this kind of depiction cannot undermine its parochialism and backwardness. The Irish people consecutively appear as antiquated within their customs, charismatic in their hostility, and individuals who cannot be in their alcoholic apathy. By employing related stereotypes element, viewers of this film consider it more of an emotional as well as a scheming film created along Hollywood’s foreseeable line of stocks.
When one employs a closer examination of the actions and the film’s characters, it can be concluded that the contents of the film are unsatisfactory and reductive. The movie has a stereotypical coating in which almost every character confirms complications and inconsistencies in the nature of how the central character interrupts the flow of the film. Also, it challenges the direct reproaches that propose a focused view that can identify its type. Similarly, the synopsis of the film may lead to the conclusion that the stereotypical scenes are scripted in a casual style that makes it significantly visible.
Almost every incident in the movie is a depiction of stereotypical roles with an obligation to drive home the theme of the comedy to the audience in an ordinary way without stereotypes is limited. Stereotypical characters in the film deliver the message to the audience. Even though most audiences see the movie as an inoffensive bit of pleasure-seeking art, it portrays a reflection of stereotypical characters that are an unforgiving and relentless investigation of the complexity of the Irish customs and myths.
Conclusion
The inconspicuous inconsistency that exists between the film’s deceptive validations of the romantic Irish allegory alongside the relentless demonstration of Innisfree’s unforgiving actuality is among the most irregular aspects of the film. Without a sharp look, Innisfree appears to be a village characterized by innocent stereotypes that interrupt any funny view of the Irish past. For example, men from all walkways of life are portrayed as aggressive thugs who are quick to manage crime and motivated to struggle. Also in the film, women are permissive mums who pamper the ruined and immoral human beings around them.
Alcohol acts as a catalyst of social association that promotes the theme of the film, yet binge drinking facilitates infrequent fights with no harm and increased cheerfulness. In particular, Ireland seems to function as shielded, respectable tranquility that is effective in the renovation of the psyche of the main character influenced by the liveliness of the outdoor universe. So as to offer comic relief, the film uses stereotypical characters to deliver its objective. Through the use of stereotypical characters, most events in this film portray the outside world too harsh that the central character has escaped finding refuge back home.