How Green Was My Valley (1941)
Genre: Drama
Duration: 118 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: John Ford
Stars: Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara and Donald Crisp
IMDb score:
7,7 (29.760)
Releasedate: 28 October 1941
How Green Was My Valley plot
"Rich is their humor! Deep are their passions! Reckless are their lives! Mighty is their story!"
The film is set at the turn of the century in a mining town in Wales. The Morgan family whose father is hard and strict and the wife, sweet and gentle nature, raises their miner sons, but hopes for a better life for them. A sixty-year-old man looks back on his life as a little boy in a Welsh mining village where he spent his childhood in the turbulent years.
Actors and actresses
Mr. Gruffydd
Angharad Morgan
Bronwyn
Gwilym Morgan
Huw Morgan
Ianto Morgan
Beth Morgan
Cyfartha
Ivor Morgan
Mr. Jonas
Reviews & comments
The One Ring
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- 29974 messages
- 4109 votes
I always thought I should read the title as a question. That turned out not to be the case, because within the film the title is pronounced as a statement. It could have been a question though, because just how green was his valley? Weak jokes about black and white images can be left aside, because my impression is that the valley was not very green. This is a nostalgia film, but if you look at the conditions people live in, the question arises of what they are nostalgic about. Family life, of course, but otherwise they had a bitter time. Fruitless revolts, religious dogmas, life-threatening working conditions, sadistic teachers, very low education level, little tolerance from the neighbors: I would not have liked to live there.
Despite that, this film does work, including the nostalgia. This is mainly because the family is portrayed strongly, with Donald Crisp and SarahAllgood as strong anchors in the roles of the father and mother. In addition, I am simply in love with that typical Ford cinematography. Apparently Welsh people recognized little of their country in this film, which I like to believe because the landscapes, the houses and even the interiors exude something fairytale. The lighting and image composition is beautiful. The story is also simply well told, with a lot of variety and a pleasant calm at the same time.
It is a pity that Ford's sentimentality is almost constantly present. The almost constant presence of violins and the generally somewhat exaggerated melancholic tone had no need for me. Fortunately, Ford keeps it credible despite that and seems genuinely involved with the people he shows on screen.
3.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
BBarbie
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- 12893 messages
- 7675 votes
Beautiful film by John Ford based on the beautiful book by Richard Llewellyn from 1939. The book is set around the turn of the last century, but was written at the end of the Depression years and should be read in that context. With the rising tension in Europe, people could use a sweet pick-me-up. It is therefore not surprising that the book became extremely popular worldwide.
The same applies to the film, which was released two years later. Perhaps the story is a bit too sweet and well-behaved, but otherwise quite gripping. Moreover, the cinematography, especially for that time, is really beautiful.
And let's face it: isn't the only 20-year-old Maureen O'Hara a picture?
Translated from Dutch · View original
Kiekerjan
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- 119 messages
- 106 votes
A very emotional drama told from the point of view of a Welsh family of miners, who have to deal with pay cuts, the deaths of relatives and other melodramatic story elements over the years. The story itself is basically one long flashback and is (initially) told through voice-over, delivered by the younger son reflecting on his childhood. His voice shows affection and a deep affection towards his past, despite the harsh circumstances. Ford usually portrays things neatly, with sentimentality in mind. The images of the village and the smelly factory chimneys in the background provide a nice contrast. The whole thing has a dreamy atmosphere, and feels like it's taking place in the head of the young son, somewhat blinded by nostalgia. Certainly in the beginning it looks a bit like a Disney movie, and just before a squirrel starts singing on the windowsill. I especially found the beginning and the end very strong, while the middle part is rather slack. Things like the strict schoolmaster and the arranged marriage couldn't hold my attention, even though these scenes add to the plot. The gossip just before the end and the speech by Walter Pidgeon, by far the best actor, were a good ending. It was not only the coal mine that polluted the valley, but sometimes also the grim nature of man. However, I am missing something that takes it to the next level. I never really felt involved.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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