Ford Tough.

Over at Dave Kehr's blog, one of his readers gave him a little bit of guff over the difference between his considered, formal—let's say "official"— review of Fox's stupendous Ford at Fox DVD set. "When a studio puts out something like this, you’d think you could let loose with a “superb” or two in the review itself, not just the blog entry." To quote, once again, Paul Stewart in Citizen Kane, "Maybe yes, maybe no." I feel Dave's pain, if indeed Dave is feeling any. There is a difference in what a critic does for the consumption of a theoretically larger and more general-interest readership and what he or she might do under a more personal shingle, just as there are differences in media. I took a stab at a "proper" review of the Ford box on the Premiere website, taking the same tack I would have had I been writing it up for the print magazine—that is, finding an angle that I thought would have the most appeal to the mainstream of the readership.

Here, by definition, I can get a little more personal, a little more detailed...and I could point out that my review on the website contains a pretty stupid mistake of omission, in that it fails to list Ford's 1933 Pilgrimage as among the riches of the set.

From Pilgrimage, John Ford, 1933

What an astonishing picture it is, too, featuring a lead character who is, in a sense, a female precursor to The Searchers' Ethan Edwards. Arkansas mom Hannah Jessop (beautifully played by renowned stage actress Henrietta Crossman) is so attached to her adult son (played by future director Norman Foster) and so disapproving of his love for a girl she considers "trash" that she sends him off to World War I...where's he's killed. The titular pilgrimage—to France a decade later, to visit the son's grave—sets the stage for redemption and reconciliation. But before that, Jessop's one of the most cussedly dislikeable characters in not just the Ford canon but, as far as I can discern, American cinema itself. And she's the main focus of the thing! Daring for 1933...hell, it's daring for now. The picture is both rough-hewn and extremely sophisticated, with fascinating touches that make still pertinent social points (a sequence featuring U.S. soldiers' moms who happen to have limited English skills is particularly sharp and moving). Add to that a superb commentary by Joseph McBride. It's really something; a major discovery in and of itself.

There's so much more in this box to revel in—including Humphrey Bogart and Spencer Tracy together for the first and last time in Up the River—that looking at my review it seems almost churlish of me to have pointed out that not all the films in the set are masterpieces. But it's not churlish, and it's part of the point—not every Twain piece in the Library of America's editions of that author's works is the best he ever did, either. The wondrous/wonderful thing is that this set exists...and this might sound earnest and corny, but I think the critics who are excited about its existence would do well to go that extra mile to help encourage that other such editions exist in the future. E.g., we who got the thing for free might consider buying a copy as a Christmas present for a not-as-privileged fellow cinephile. That sort of thing. Amazon's got it for almost a third less than retail, if you're interested.

Comments

[Ryland Walker Knight]

Oh, I'm interested. But poor. And jealous? I'll do well if I get a copy of that Burnett set, much less any of the big boxes of this season (Fassbinder?), or of last year's winter (Seven Samurai?). Luckily, there's Netflix. And, heck, that's a ton of time wrapped up in that box. The perils of cinephilia?

[Glenn Kenny]

It's an interesting point you make about time, RWK. In a sense—and I want to make clear that this should not be read as any kind of complaint—time is the commodity with which we pay for our review copies. With something as big as the Ford box, we can't watch at our cinephilic leisure—we've got to make the time, cramming if we have to. Which can't help but change the nature of the experience, of course. Which reminds me...I've gotta get back to that "Two Lane Blacktop" set...

[Sam Adams]

The question, as you imply, is who you're writing for, and whether your (or Dave's, or anyone's) primary responsibility is to help Fox sell copies by lobbing laudatory adjectives at their product or whether it's to the readers who will be shelling out for the set. Or, further than that, whether the higher calling is to produce a good piece of writing, which might entail picking a compelling central argument at the expense of listing every potential plus and minus. (I lean, needless to say, towards the last.)

While I understand where Dave's reader is coming from, the comment seems to me silly and/or offensive. It takes a profound misunderstanding of Dave's strengths and the critic's role to think that the most worthy thing he can do is to riffle through his thesaurus looking for synonyms for "great." And really, apart from furnishing potential blurb-meat, what good is a word like "superb," anyway? The whole lexicon of praise has been so drained of meaning that it barely raises an eyebrow. It means much more to explain why a movie is a masterpiece than to simply call it one.

For what it's worth, both your and Dave's reviews have certainly made me sorely tempted to plunk down for the Ford box (although it would be easier if I hadn't just spent nearly as much on that gorgeous Rarebit Fiend book). You may consider your consumer-advocacy responsibilities faithfully discharged.

[bill]

I am not fortunate to have been sent a free copy of this box-set. So, who's buying it for me?

[Glenn Kenny]

I have grown rather fond of you, Bill, but still, we're not THAT close. Sorry.

[bill]

Then you shall receive no gifts from me in return. Good day to you.

[Aaron Aradillas]

I could always use another big brother, Mr. Kenny. You know, one who'll lavish his little brother with gifts.

Just sayin'.

P.S. I hear that Two-Lane Blacktop from Criterion is real sweet. Warren Oates rules!

[asferty]

One more business, - the aristocrat has continued. - a trifle, but I want, that it has been executed.
- What exactly? - has taken an interest Нистур.
- On this person - very unusual armour. Carried out of the task, work to removetake off them from ithim and to transfertransmit me. You can receive for it the extra charge to a payment for work.

Mister, you offend me! I - асассин with high reputation, and I am not engaged in marauding. I recognize, that for heroes and even knights to removetake off an armour with поверженного the opponent, so noble and notable, - usual business. But it is possibleprobable only on a battlefield, after the open duel.

[bodriych]

At all I do not know, that, except for your society, would keep me in this city upon termination of work, - it is underlined politely has answered Нистур.
The person in a black velvet was sharply developed and, having sparkled silvery furnish of a raincoat, has disappeared in a dark corridor.
The door was closed, Нистур has sighed
ами ковры

[bodriych]

At all I do not know, that, except for your society, would keep me in this city upon termination of work, - it is underlined politely has answered Нистур.
The person in a black velvet was sharply developed and, having sparkled silvery furnish of a raincoat, has disappeared in a dark corridor.
The door was closed, Нистур has sighed
ами ковры

[bodriych]

At all I do not know, that, except for your society, would keep me in this city upon termination of work, - it is underlined politely has answered Нистур.
The person in a black velvet was sharply developed and, having sparkled silvery furnish of a raincoat, has disappeared in a dark corridor.
The door was closed, Нистур has sighed
ами ковры

[bodriych]

At all I do not know, that, except for your society, would keep me in this city upon termination of work, - it is underlined politely has answered Нистур.
The person in a black velvet was sharply developed and, having sparkled silvery furnish of a raincoat, has disappeared in a dark corridor.
The door was closed, Нистур has sighed
ами ковры

[bodriych]

At all I do not know, that, except for your society, would keep me in this city upon termination of work, - it is underlined politely has answered Нистур.
The person in a black velvet was sharply developed and, having sparkled silvery furnish of a raincoat, has disappeared in a dark corridor.
The door was closed, Нистур has sighed
ами ковры

[bodriych]

At all I do not know, that, except for your society, would keep me in this city upon termination of work, - it is underlined politely has answered Нистур.
The person in a black velvet was sharply developed and, having sparkled silvery furnish of a raincoat, has disappeared in a dark corridor.
The door was closed, Нистур has sighed
ами ковры

[bodriych]

At all I do not know, that, except for your society, would keep me in this city upon termination of work, - it is underlined politely has answered Нистур.
The person in a black velvet was sharply developed and, having sparkled silvery furnish of a raincoat, has disappeared in a dark corridor.
The door was closed, Нистур has sighed
ами ковры