“My name is John Ford and I do westerns”. One of the many unforgettable phrases he left behind the best director in the history of the seventh art serves to fully define the essence of this special. And this has not, on the contrary, honored the truth, since it is a filmmaker who has traveled through a multitude of genres, leaving in each of them the indelible poetic imprint of him.
However, it is clear that the western was a field in which Ford moved with a style, a greatness, an epic and, above all, an unparalleled sensibility. No one has told stories of this kind, sooner or later, with the mastery of a director who seemed unable to make mistakes. All the elements, none excluded, beat, moved, breathed and vibrated to the rhythm of the unforgettable.
John Ford’s best westerns
1 ‘The diligence’
It is not that the western needed a film like ‘The Diligence’, it is that the cinema wanted to find a job like that, with a work that would revolutionize a genre anchored in indifference. The key was to give the characters, as varied as they were charismatic, a psychological depth and a narrative complexity that went beyond the stereotype. John Ford understood perfectly and built a story marked by a balance between characters and story that leaves no room for anything other than the deepest admiration.
Add to that an ever-perfect staging, John Wayne’s historic discovery, with a standing and clapping presentation, and one of the best action scenes ever shot, and we have a perfect combination. One of the definitive westerns. One of the best films in the history of cinema.
The diligence in eCartelera
Two ‘centaurs of the desert’
For the American Film Institute, this is the twelfth best film of all time, and it is also the first western on the list. For Steven Spielberg, one of Ford School’s most outstanding interns, it’s the best film ever made, regardless of genre or decade. It is evident that, with such a background, the excess of expectations is very likely to end it mercilessly after a first viewing. Well, the opposite happens.
“Desert Centaurs” is another one of those westerns that are above the simplistic “western movie” label. Here there is drama, loneliness, action, poetry and so much, so much melancholy. Ford gives no respite to a spectator who reluctantly watches the story of a man (the proud John Wayne) who goes in search of the Indians who have taken his niece. A starting point far from excellence but which, in Ford’s hands, ends up becoming the beginning of an unfathomable film in all its flawless greatness. There remains for history, in the midst of omnipresent perfection, one last shot of those that exemplify why cinema is art.
Desert Centaurs in eCartelera
3 “Mission of the Bold”
Played by two immeasurable John Wayne and William Holden, who demonstrate spectacular chemistry from their first meeting, “Mission of the Bold” is, as well as one of his most inspired westerns, one of the most rounded films of John Ford’s career. Full of epics, moments of brutal intensity, staging details that leave you speechless and, above all, a final climax that takes off your hat, it is a truly fundamental work to understand the greatness of its author.
4 ‘Three godparents’
As with ‘Tokyo Godfathers’, the beautiful remake made by the long-awaited Satoshi Kon, ‘Three Godfathers’ is one of the most beautiful Christmas stories ever told. A masterpiece that moves us to tears and so on proposes one of the most delicate and delicate versions of John Ford. A simply perfect film in its technical section, full of expressiveness and beauty, told with the talent of a giant, full of interpretations above praise and unique in its contagious tenderness. That is, mandatory.
5 ‘Passion of the strong’
My dear Clementina. What would a good western be without a nervous, tension-filled shootout? Ford, always wise, knew this but was not tempted to entrust all the responsibility of a work to that moment when any character can fall without mercy. ‘Passion of the strong’, as well as being the film that best told the duel in OK corral in the city of Tombstone, one of the most legendary events in the history of the United States; is a tribute to climax as a cinematic concept.
Every second of the film is planned, measured and conceived to lead us to that final stretch which, far from not meeting expectations, ends up giving the film its full meaning. Ford completes the show with doses of romance and drama, a sense of humor and looks that speak louder than gunshots. Masterful from start to finish.
Passion of the strong in eCartelera
6 “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”
The western has reinvented itself, revolutionized itself and reached its (unbeatable) peak. “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”. John Ford’s definitive masterpiece is a constant walk through narrative and visual perfection, through the pain of a past that stabs you in the back. A journey through trauma in the dark, friendship without defenses or excuses, the inevitable passing of time in a convulsive society that does not know clocks.
The poetry that runs through every frame of this prodigious work continues to arouse a feeling of beauty and lyricism that is still unattainable for a genre that has never reached such a height. Ford, accompanied by the unforgettable James Stewart and John Wayne, touched the infinite with his hands. Impossible to stay with a scene. Impossible to forget it when you think of the list of the best films of all time. Gold page of the seventh art. The best Ford. With all that that implies.
7 “Strong Apache”
Easy, what is called easy, is not choosing within the famous “Trilogy of chivalry” by John Ford. The very high level of the three proposals makes it more and better understood as a whole than as single and autonomous works. In short, what is recommended would be to enjoy them all in chronological order, no one excluded, but the obligation is the obligation, therefore Let’s start from the beginning.
“Fort Apache”, like eighty percent of Ford’s filmography, is set in a specific context to go much further. At the first viewing you may have the feeling of being in front of a film with too many arguments and clichés, but reviewed and analyzed with calm and attention, ‘Fort Apache’ it appears much deeper and more complex, rounder and more sober, more thoughtful and dazzling. It is a work with the hallmarks of John Ford. Much more than a hobby, a gift.
Fort Apache on eCartelera
8 ‘The invincible legion’
From the moment they start playing the first few bars of the wonderful ‘She Wore a Yellow Ribbon’, you already know that you are in the presence of something big. And what happens during the rest of the footage, far from obfuscating that idea, makes it look small. Located between the magnificent “Fort Apache” and “Río Grande”, “The Invincible Legion” is not only up to the task, but also manages, in many moments, to place itself above its illustrious companions. A particularly inspired John Wayne plays another master class in cinema signed by a John Ford in top form, capable of reaching infinity with the smallest elements.
The invincible legion in eCartelera
9 ‘Rio Grande’
If you ask me, “Rio Grande” seems like the best film in John Ford’s acclaimed chivalry trilogy. An unforgettable closure for a series of masterpieces with which the director and John Wayne once again amazed the world, building impressive cinematic pieces like the one in question. And that’s it, from its wonderful closing credits to the final climax to frame, ‘Río Grande’ flows with the indisputable grandeur of the most complete, exciting and admirable cinema. Inexhaustible monument.
Rio Grande in eCartelera
10 “The Black Sergeant”
Driven by a moving and impressive lead performance by Woody Strode, “The Black Sergeant” is one of those works unfairly treated as minors in John Ford’s overwhelming catalog. And it is that, armed on the basis of numerous flashbacks, this real gem, that’s what it isit keeps you trapped from the first minute to the last, interested at all times in what happens to its main character and trying to anticipate the next twist that a story tells with the absolute mastery that is reserved for the greatest in history. Marvelous.
In its immense landscapes, its melancholy heroes, its radiant losers, its loyal professionals, its precious love stories and its duels in the sun, dwells its most inspired version. And the very soul of great cinema. If you have any doubts about it, here are 10 masterpieces to dispel them right away.
Source: E Cartelera
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
