One day, when all is truly right in the world, John Ford's silent work will finally get the recognition that it so sorely deserves. While his contributions to the Western genre and the further codification of cinematic language are rightfully lauded, very few remember that Ford had already achieved mastery over his craft before the advent of sound. Films like The Iron Horse (1924) and Four Sons (1928) displayed such skill and maturity that they could be easily mistaken for forgotten works of Vidor or Murnau. This ability can be seen to a lesser extent in Hangman's House, a charming drama set in Ford's beloved Ireland. The film displays many of the themes that would come to define Ford's work in the coming decades, such as a delight in portraying the local color and men dominated by commitments to codes or unspoken rules of honor. In this case, we are introduced to Commandant Denis Hogan, a soldier stationed in Algiers who returns to his native Ireland (where he is a wanted man) after a telegram informs him of his sister's ruination and demise at the hands of the wicked aristocrat John D'Arcy. D'Arcy, we learn, is in Ireland trying to win the hand of Connaught O'Brien, the daughter of a local baron who made his fortune as a hanging judge. Of course, Connaught resists the arrangment due to her love for her childhood friend Dermot McDermot. It's fascinating to watch Ford weave these individuals into a single tale of love, treachery, and justice. Though the year was 1928 and soon he would be directing sound films, Ford still relied heavily on the language of silent cinema. Take, for instance, one early scene where Connaught's father has a vision of a man being hanged while staring into his fireplace. Hangman's House also serves as a special treat for film historians, as it contains the first confirmed appearance of John Wayne in one of Ford's films. Truly then, Hangman's House served as a bridge for John Ford between two different cinematic worlds. It would be the start of his destiny.
7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment