The Quiet Man [Paperback]

John Ford???s The Quiet Man (1952) is the most popular cinematic representation of Ireland, and one of Hollywood's classic romantic comedies. For some viewers and critics the film is a powerful evocation of romantic Ireland and the search for home; for others, it is a showcase for the worst stereotypes of stage-Irishry. Much of Irish cinema since the development of an indigenous film industry in the 1980s has set its face firmly against these mythic images of Ireland, but no film has yet attained the enduring appeal of The Quiet Man . In this radical reappraisal of Ford???s Oscar-winning film, Luke Gibbons traces its development from Maurice Walsh???s original story (1933) and argues that its romantic excesses are a symptom of much darker undercurrents in the literary text, and the displacement of trauma that often underlies nostalgia. Moreover, Gibbons ably demonstrates how the film, rather than indulging in escapism, actually questions its own romantic illusions and the dream of returning to an Irish paradise lost.???In The Quiet Man, Luke Gibbons takes a thoughtful, detailed and absorbing approach to the history, myths and resonances of John Ford???s 1951 Irish classic, a film which, Gibbons notes, ???has garnered accolades from directors as diverse as Spielberg and Scorsese, (while) for others it is the bane of Irish cinema.' ??????Review of the Ireland into Film series:
Each writer has also done an impressive amount of new archive research, which greatly enhances the series' value as fim history and film research. The volumes give full production details and where possible, contain good background interviews with writers and directors???.Each volume is lavishly illustrated so that as well as providing good detailed information on the films and an engaged debate about adaptation in general, the series is also an excellent value for the collector