John Ford is an nearly mythic determine from Hollywood’s “Golden Age,” and listed here are his finest films presently streaming on Prime Video. The John Ford/John Wayne collaborations stay among the most acclaimed works in both man’s filmography, with The Searchers being thought of probably the greatest Westerns ever produced.
Exterior of Ford’s work with Wayne, he explored a variety of genres all through his profession. There are John Ford battle films (They Have been Expendable), award-winning dramas (The Grapes of Wrath), romantic comedies (The Quiet Man), and nearly every thing in between. Ford additionally nabbed 4 Academy Awards for Finest Director throughout his profession.
Ford was additionally a workhorse, with not often a yr going by with out the director having a brand new film popping out. Like Wayne, Ford began out making cheapie Westerns that he was in a position to elevate by way of sheer expertise, earlier than shifting into greater funds options.
It is also exhausting to undersell how vital Ford is to cinema usually. Ford was a significant inspiration on different administrators like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Akira Kurosawa and numerous others, with the likes of The Grapes of Wrath or The Searchers being counted among the many finest American movies ever.
Arrowsmith (1931)
Arrowsmith was one among Ford’s earliest films and was based mostly on the 1925 novel of the identical identify. It forged Ronald Colman within the title function, with Arrowsmith being a promising younger doctor whose analysis right into a remedy for the bubonic plague takes him on a life-altering journey to the West Indies to check if it really works.
By all accounts, Arrowsmith is a disappointingly condensed and simplified model of the supply materials. Regardless, the film was showered with award recognition, with the story exploring the assorted ethical complexities its lead character faces regardless of his noble objectives.
It is also notable for the character of Dr. Marchand, performed by Clarence Brooks. Marchand is thought to be one among (if not the first) situations of a Black character defying Hollywood stereotypes of the period, with Marchand being portrayed with dignity and intelligence.
Arrowsmith has dated in some ways, even concerning sure racial stereotypes, and might fall into melodrama too simply. Nonetheless, it is an interesting early work from Ford, and one which noticed him discovering his voice as a filmmaker.
Decide Priest (1934)
One other early hit from Ford, Decide Priest is a low-key comedy-drama set in a small city within the late nineteenth century. The story facilities on Will Rogers’ Decide William Priest, who takes an empathetic method to resolving authorized disputes, and the film was praised for its nostalgic and heat tone.
Decide Priest star Will Rogers was tragically killed in an accident in 1935, only a yr after the film’s launch.
A lot of that comes right down to Rogers himself, who’s a really endearing and sort presence. There’s a lot to take pleasure in about Decide Priest’s episodic and considerably laidback tone, although it must be mentioned that regardless of coping with advanced points just like the aftermath of the Civil Struggle, the film’s use of racial stereotypes has not aged gracefully.
Even accepting that such depictions are “of their time,” it will probably make for tough viewing in 2025. For these prepared to miss Decide Priest’s faults, it is anchored by some nice performances and Ford’s assured hand behind the digital camera.
The Hurricane (1937)
An early entry within the catastrophe film style, The Hurricane follows a Polynesian soldier who’s unfairly imprisoned after defending himself from a racist attacker. The story then follows Terangi’s (Jon Corridor) efforts to flee captivity and make his means again to his household. For sure, it isn’t a straightforward journey.
The Hurricane is finest remembered now for its climactic sequence, the place a violent storm ravages an island. Practically 90 years on, that is nonetheless a technically spectacular, intense setpiece, and one which comes with potent symbolism. In essence, this act of nature washes away the Colonial oppression and efforts to manage the island’s natives.
It is also one other John Ford epic that appears at thorny points like institutional racism and the character of justice itself. That is all wrapped inside an exciting journey, and it has slight shades of survival films like First Blood as Terangi breaks freed from his wrongful imprisonment.
Considered by way of trendy eyes, The Hurricane has some stilted dialogue and it may use some tightening however it’s an underrated gem from Ford’s profession. The movie is usually outshone by Ford’s later work, however it’s a great way to spend nearly two hours.
Stagecoach (1939)
John Wayne’s introduction in Stagecoach made him a star, and he all the time acknowledged that Ford’s ensemble Western modified his life. The movie itself follows a various group of characters touring collectively within the titular stagecoach, which picks up Wayne’s outlaw, the Ringo Child, alongside the best way.
Wayne, bellowing “Maintain it!” whereas cocking his lever-action rifle as Ford’s digital camera zooms in, is correct up there with one of the best character intros of all time. Whereas Wayne just about takes over Stagecoach from that second, that is to not say it is his film alone. The truth is, it is the ensemble nature of Stagecoach that makes it particular.
The claustrophobic setting permits the story to concentrate on its characters over the plot, and offers audiences time to get to know them earlier than the showstopping Apache raid. This sequence brings out the true colours of its forged of characters, with some rising to the event and others… not a lot.
Stagecoach’s massive motion sequence remains to be a masterclass and feels oddly trendy in its pacing and enhancing decisions. Whereas the rear-screen projection work is blatantly apparent now, the death-defying stunts it options are really breathtaking. Ford additionally images Monument Valley like no different director earlier than or since.
What Stagecoach actually did for the style shifting ahead was to raise Westerns to a brand new stage. The film is not about heroes defeating villains or cowboys saving damsels in misery; it is a story a couple of mismatched group of characters – every with their very own backstories and motives – being compelled to work collectively.
It is principally a metaphor for the settling of America, not that John Ford would ever confess to such an mental studying. Western followers are virtually responsibility certain to observe Stagecoach at the very least as soon as, if solely to see the film the place every thing clicked into place for John Wayne after a decade of fronting cheapie B-movies.