Saturday, March 29, 2025
John Ford, the temperamental
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August 31, 2023, marks the 50th anniversary of the death of John Ford, an immense, complex, and enigmatic figure. A name etched in the history of cinema, not only for having defined the Western, but for his overall impact on the industry. An obligatory reference for directors like Steven Spielberg, who has acknowledged his influence on numerous occasions, Ford was a director full of contradictions: sensitive beneath a rude exterior, generous and tyrannical in equal measure, a fervent defender of family values, yet careless in his own personal life. An artist whose passion magnified the art to which he dedicated himself.
Ford found happiness in filmmaking, distancing himself from his usual self-destructive spiral and his stormy relationship with alcohol. His films were a reflection of his complex personality, with a fine line between admiration and abuse of those around him. His masterpieces include "Stagecoach" (1939), "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940), "The Quiet Man" (1952), "The Searchers" (1956), and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (1962). Ford was a filmmaker who imposed his will on producers, who rarely interfered with his filming. His personal stamp remained unwavering, combining a deep respect for the industry with an innate rebelliousness.
He was always a director of his own accord, famous for cutting scenes immediately to prevent the editor from dragging them out. In his personal life, his trademark eyepatch was not only a hallmark of his image, but a consequence of his impatience: he lost the vision in one eye after removing the bandage too soon following cataract surgery. Over time, he also feigned deafness, which he used to isolate himself from the world when he deemed it necessary.
Known in his youth as "Bull" Feeney for his robust build, John Martin Aloysius Feeney stood 6 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 175 pounds. His squint gave him a vulnerable air, contrasting with his tough image. Fascinated by American history, he found refuge there from the ethnic tensions he experienced as the son of first-generation Irish immigrants. His work was marked by family, tradition, and the sincere expression of emotion—concerns considered "feminine" in his time, but deeply rooted in his Irish heritage.
His films reflected this duality: cowboys hardened by life, yet unable to hide their humanity. Actors such as John Wayne, James Stewart, and Henry Fonda brought to life characters who embodied the struggle between toughness and sensitivity. Within his team, Ford created a true cinematic family, a loyal group with whom he worked frequently.
Beneath his rugged appearance and his fondness for alcohol and cigars, lay a poetic sensibility inherited from his ancestors. His films exalted the land, friendship, resilience, and solidarity. Although he masterfully shot grand landscapes, his true talent emerged in intimate scenes charged with genuine emotion. For him, repeating a scene to the point of losing its spontaneity was a failure.
Politically, Ford was an unclassifiable figure. Although he produced propaganda for the US government during World War II, he also denounced the precariousness of the working class in "The Grapes of Wrath" and supported advances in civil rights under Kennedy. As for his alleged misogyny, his films feature strong and determined women, far removed from the conservative archetype.
Ford defied labels and conventions, capturing the essence of the human condition in all its complexity. He had a deep empathy for ordinary people, those who face adversity with dignity. For him, cinema was not just a matter of technique, but of character and emotion.
His great skill was to master the sentimental without falling into the mawkish, thanks to his honesty and truth. With songs, dances, fights, and unforgettable characters, he captivated audiences without abandoning the action, but always with the goal of leaving a lesson. Even his most obscure film has a purpose and a lasting impact.
John Ford is the essence of classic American cinema, a poet of the image whose filmography continues to define cinema as an art and vehicle for emotion. His legacy is unique, as he is the only director to win four Oscars: "The Informer" (1936), "The Grapes of Wrath" (1941), "How Green Was My Valley" (1942), and "The Quiet Man" (1953).
We will never know who John Ford really was, but perhaps it isn't necessary. As he himself would say: "If facts become legend, print the legend."
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