Welcome to class! My full-time job is working at a university, and I teach as well. One of my dreams has always been to teach a film class. Taking students through the world of cinema and helping them learn about the art form that I am so passionate about would be an amazing experience. But alas…I teach math. This series, “Lessons from the Wasteland,” is my opportunity to offer readers a curated watchlist to learn through doing (…watching movies). Each film on this list will highlight a filmmaker, sub-genre, filmmaking technique, or significant topic in order to broaden your cinematic horizons.
For this month, we have…
John Ford
The Whole Town’s Talking (1935)
The name “John Ford” is synonymous with the classic western. He has been known as a game-changer in the western genre for over a century. One of the oldest genres of American film, Ford made plenty of them over the years, but he did have some interesting range in the types of films he created. 140 credits (with 80 of them still available today) is an insane amount for a director, which means there are certainly some that flew under the radar. One such film in his filmography is The Whole Town’s Talking.
One genre that was incredibly popular in the 1930s and ’40s that Ford did not dabble in too often was the screwball comedy. Humor is not one of the filmmaking elements that is a fixture of Ford’s reputation or vision, but he did find himself crafting a great mixture of elements that came together to bring The Whole Town’s Talking to life. This is a film that tells the tale of a meek, mild-mannered clerk who is mistaken for public enemy number one (both played by Edward G. Robinson) while the notorious criminal benefits from the situation. This is an excellent concept to play with, and with the right pieces, it has plenty of potential to be a great time.
When you have a filmmaker like Ford, who was one of the greatest craftsmen in the earlier half of the 20th century, you know you will find ways to elevate a fun experience like this. When you have an iconic actor like Robinson at the core of your film, you also have plenty to work with. Robinson’s dual performance is quite special due to the divide between the temperaments and characterizations. First off, you get to see one of the greatest gangster movie actors of all time bring a new mafioso to life as “Killer” Mannion. But you also get to see him bring an awkwardly funny man with a lack of toughness like Arthur Ferguson Jones to life as well. Ford gives Robinson the space to create these distinct and unique characters, and witnessing the duo performances is well worth watching the film all together. The film is a clever blend of quick wit, situational comedy, and some good old-fashioned mob tale too. Some romance with a charming Jean Arthur performance doesn’t hurt either.
Ford was a confident filmmaker who would go for his vision and that confidence shines through here with The Whole Town’s Talking. For a director known for giant vistas, he is able to capture the urban nature of this story with authenticity. The crew on the film captures that through effective production design and sharp costumes that match the era well and that gangster lifestyle. Certainly a rare effort from Ford, but The Whole Town’s Talking will quickly tear down that expectation of Ford’s filmography being a giant wall of westerns and war films.
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
It wasn’t just screwball comedies that Ford was crafting earlier in his career. Comedy was a rare element, but drama certainly was not. All films have some level of drama and conflict in them, but few films capture “human drama” quite like The Grapes of Wrath. This is a story that heads out west, but that Dust Bowl setting gives the experience quite the different feel and context. You can certainly see why Ford was drawn to John Steinbeck’s story (an all-time classic now, and a hot new release back when this film came out).
Ford is one of the most decorated filmmakers in the history of the Academy Awards and The Grapes of Wrath is one of his most impactful and well-praised – it won Ford one of his numerous Best Director statuettes. This is a story about a family who are struggling for money, food, and shelter in a journey across western America to find their way to California. Not quite a frontier western like some of Ford’s other works, but The Grapes of Wrath draws upon similar elements narratively and thematically. What stands out most in Ford’s directorial effort are the scale and emotion. We feel the laborious journey that takes wear and tear on the Joad family. There is so much human conflict and man versus nature throughout The Grapes of Wrath, and Ford is able to capture the tragedy so poignantly. Ford had a great eye for cinema, and the way the camera moves and captures the decaying landscape of America during the Depression is so powerful.
This is a film that was on the pulse of America at the time, and Ford showed why he was one of the most beloved storytellers of his generation. This is not a film that is “entertaining” or “fun.” Ford goes straight to the heart of the story and captures the struggle and perseverance of his characters while channeling the deep emotions that overcome them through this perilous journey. Not everyone in the Joad family makes it, and Ford finds the weight and emotion in each scene. The crisp and stark black-and-white cinematography does plenty of heavy-lifting with the presentation of this even starker world that Steinbeck (and Ford) created.
This is the tragic tale of Tom Joad, who returns to his family to find out that there is nothing there for them to survive anymore. They journey out to California to find work and money out of desperation and hope. America’s most beloved leading man of the time was Henry Fonda, and he brought such a powerful and empathetic turn in bringing the well-meaning and misguided Tom Joad. There are plenty of talented performers from John Carradine to Russell Simpson, but it is Jane Darwell as Ma Joad who stole every scene and earned her big Oscar win. The Grapes of Wrath boasts Ford’s expert storytelling, and his ability to capture drama and emotion without cowboys or soldiers in sight.
They Were Expendable (1945)
But Ford did have his comfort zones as a filmmaker. The western was his bread and butter, but war films were another key fixture in Ford’s filmography. Frequent collaborator John Wayne made many more war films than Ford did, but they had a few together that have stood the test of time. At a period in United States history when our involvement in World War II was still fresh but getting closer to its end, They Were Expendable delivers a powerful message and cinematic experience.
This war film focuses on a proud and brave section of the US military who were called into action early on in the United States’ conflict with Japan. PT boats were not expected to be actual weapons for the US military in the fight but a scrappy group needed to hold down the American foothold of Manila in the Philippines. When the Japanese attacked, the PT boats and their crews needed to show their gumption and fight for their country against some insurmountable odds. Ford did not make as many war films as you might think, but he had an eye to capture the brutal thrills of warfare on screen. What is even more complicated and challenging is making realistic 1945 naval battles on film.
One of the most significant elements of Ford’s career that he just doesn’t get enough credit for is his special effects work. Whether it is a blistering hurricane, stunts on a stagecoach, or all-out warfare on the high seas, Ford found a way to bring those moments to life on screen. The battle sequences in They Were Expendable are thrilling and exhilarating. The use of real shots of boats on the ocean combined with rear projects of naval warfare gives this war film plenty of life. The way they manipulate in-camera moments with water effects and explosions might seem a little too low-fi by 2026 standards, but they are quite impressive for an 80-year-old film. Ford leveraged state-of-the-art effects work of the time and masterful filmmaking techniques to make sure you felt the rage, danger, and power of this naval warfare.
But this tale challenges the characters to show their bravery to stand up to unimaginable odds as well as showing one’s worth in the face of adversity. Ford brings to life this unwinnable conflict and does a great job of highlighting the soldiers involved as they attempt to stand their ground. Lt. John Brickley (Robert Montgomery) and Lt. “Rusty” Ryan (John Wayne) are challenged in what they will do and how they will bring this fight to the Japanese. Both Montgomery and Wayne deliver some engaging performances while being a true movie star presence. A war film with such scale needs to have those anchoring figures to ground the audience in the drama and thrills, and Ford and company accomplish this so well.
The Quiet Man (1952)
A child of native Irish folk, Ford had such a love for Ireland, its people, and their culture. That is why he would always circle back around to make films influenced by those interests. There was a passion and connection that Ford brought to these stories that makes them feel so personal and loved. There are a few films in his filmography that capture his passion for his parents’ motherland, but The Quiet Man is the most quintessential of them all.
One of the most significant elements of the film is the striking Technicolor that Ford leverages to bring the beautiful countryside of Ireland to life. The way the greens pop on screen is striking. The orange of Maureen O’Hara’s hair and the red of her lips are incredibly gorgeous on-screen. The costumes are pitch-perfect for the era and setting, with some of the more vibrant colors grabbing your attention immediately. The music does just as impressive a job in crafting the Irish feel and giving the film a more authentic and organic representation.
There are some truly iconic visual moments in the film, especially with the heavy winds blowing as Wayne pulls in O’Hara for their big first kiss. The Quiet Man feels like such a refreshing change of pace for Ford as the Irish village setting feels so unique in his western- and war-heavy filmography. This is also a film where the romance is front and center while not being a supporting piece to a genre affair. But there is not just romance that fills up this two-plus-hour romantic comedy. The climax of the film is an all-out Donnybrook, with two heavyweights like Wayne and Victor McLaglen throwing haymakers like no one’s business. There is a healthy amount of physical comedy and charm infused into this thrilling and well-composed action sequence.
Ford trades frontier conflicts and war for a more intimate conflict between family (with O’Hara and McLaglen playing siblings in some contentious dynamics). You feel for the unfortunate betrayal amongst family that occurs in the film while you navigate the more traditional ideologies of the time that Ford presents on screen. You can certainly argue that many of Ford’s films struggle with aging poorly due to those more traditional perspectives shown in his film and they certainly appear here. Wayne’s Sean does indeed get physical with O’Hara’s fiery and driven Mary Kate (making for a truly long and over-wrought sequence of a husband literally dragging his wife all across the countryside and the village). But many films of the era will feel antiquated in ways but that should not get in the way of appreciating a film like The Quiet Man for what it does accomplish.
One of Ford’s most personal and passionate projects delivers a whole gambit of emotions, but love is certainly the most powerful. If you want to see a different side of one of the most hard-nosed and masculine filmmakers in the history of Hollywood, The Quiet Man is an excellent choice. It’s incredible how much of an indelible impact the film has made on so many modern romantic comedies.
The Searchers (1956)
This is the genre you have been waiting for, right? This lesson could have easily been the different twists and perspectives on the western genre that Ford had explored in his career. There are more comedically-inclined ones. There are dramas cloaked in western trappings. There are plenty of war films that capture a different time in military conflict that many audience members might not have been aware of out on the frontier. But a film that feels like a distillation of all that Ford accomplished elevating the western genre is The Searchers.
This towering cinematic achievement has it all. It’s an iconic work that it is even one of Martin Scorsese favorite and most influential films. The Searchers is a sprawling western epic that takes place over the better part of a decade. One of the most iconic and recognizable elements of Ford’s westerns has been the use of Monument Valley, and boy, does he capture the grandeur of this American landmark so well. The striking Technicolor and use of VistaVision brings so much life to the film. The costumes are vibrant (whether they belong to frontier folk or the indigenous people). The sky is so beautiful. That mid-range shot of John Wayne looking over his horse or the final shot of his character, Ethan Edwards, slowly walking away through the dark silhouette of a door. The powerful imagery in The Searchers helps make this such an iconic and powerful experience.
Ford dabbles in a variety of key western motifs. Ethan is a Civil War veteran (of the Confederacy) and his roguish nature and bigotry is deeply rooted in that experience. The film explores the conflicts between homesteaders and indigenous people, and some tribes who heavily utilized violence and aggression to keep a foothold in their lands. The bigotry that Ethan holds is even apparent in his disdain for Jeffry Hunter’s Martin (an adoptive member of the Edwards family) as he is part Native American. The Searchers is one of the more morally grey westerns as our protagonist, Ethan, is not a good person, yet we understand his mission to find his two stolen nieces. The character dynamics of the film are rich, with Ethan having constant tension with Martin, his companion on this trip. We witness the wear and tear such an epic quest takes on someone and their loved ones (perfectly embodied in the longing Laurie, played by Vera Miles, who desperately awaits Martin’s return).
Ford is able to balance impressive tonal shifts with the film having a nice share of physical comedy. But there are truly unnerving and tense moments, from the initial raid on the Edwards’ ranch as well as the climax meeting of Ethan and his niece Debbie (Natalie Wood) who has become assimilated into indigenous lifestyles. There are even some truly powerful emotional moments, especially from Wayne, who delivers the greatest performance of his career. The reaction he has to discovering the fate of one of his nieces is downright tragic and full of feeling.
Community is at the center of The Searchers, and Ethan’s total disregard for society makes him a liability to this search, but also its most powerful and resourceful tool. Ethan is outrunning his own criminal past in the post war frontier while the law chases him for some of his brash actions during the search itself. Few westerns feel so thematically rich as this. He got so much out of Wayne, who was never a dynamic actor. The whole cast is directed so well, and brings the personality of the film to life so vividly. The classic western score, the striking setting, and overall dynamic direction makes this Ford’s magnum opus (and not just of his western work). Few films define a genre quite like what The Searchers (and Ford) has done for the western.
Also see: Stagecoach, How Green Was My Valley, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Informer
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