John Ford as Pro Feminist Filmmaker
Redefining The Director As A Champion Of The Contemporary Woman
Jun 4, 2009
John Ford, Hollywood's most complete auteur, from whose wellspring of talent and cinematic mythological poetry all others drawn from, has long been categorized as a maker of 'men's films'. As erroneously labeled as George Cukor for being a "woman's director", John Ford has been intricately linked with John Wayne for their embodiment of the western genre, overshadowing his greatest cinematic achievements with such films as The Informer, Grapes Of Wrath, How Green Was My Valley and The Quiet Man, all films for which he won the Academy Award during their respective years.
It is in a John Ford film that the women in the lives of the men drive the male protagonist towards his destiny, a destiny of greatness no matter how small the scale may be within the film's social fabric. In a Ford film it is not a matter of "behind every great man is a great woman," for she is the quiet, yet inextricable force who defines the character of the central male protagonist.
It is in a John Ford film that the male protagonist draws strength, guidance, direction, inspiration and often redemption.
The Mother As Protector Of A Vision
Made during Hollywood's greatest year of cinematic achievement, 1939, Young Mr. Lincoln opens with an excerpt from Poet Rosemary Benet's heartbreaking poem entitled "Nancy Hanks"
If Nancy Hanks
Came back as a ghost,
Seeking news
Of what she loved most,
She'd ask first
"Where's my son?
What's happened to Abe?
What's he done?"
Ford's love of the mother figure is well known and here Ford, opens with a tribute to the woman who was possibly more responsible for the early shaping of our Nation's most treasured of Presidents.
However, what has not been mentioned as often is that Ford, for all his rough-hewn subject matter was more of a feminist than many of his contemporaries
The Women, also made in 1939 and helmed by pantheon director George Cukor is heralded for its' brilliant all female cast and astute observation of the feminine psyche. However the film depicts the women in a shallow and vindictive light, painting a society of vicious self-serving harpies who are more interested in the destruction of the family than the furthering of society or the protection of their families and children, which maintains the inherent social fabric. Ironically, The Women which has been championed as a feminist manifesto, depicts women as weak and dependent on men and their financial resources for validation, whereas in the films of John Ford, the women are the sharp minded, an independent shaper of destinies and the catalysts of purpose which result in the bettering of the men in their respective societies.
The Woman As The Shaper of Destiny
Henry Fonda who portrays the young Lincoln, meets Ann Rutledge (Pauline Moore) his first love, by a river bank. In this tender scene Ann does not cater to Lincoln's self deprecating humor, but is consistent in keeping him on track to see the best of himself and accept his destiny. She sees Lincoln for who he is, a brilliant man with a keen mind, and calls him on his ambitiousness without condemnation, but admiration and encouragement. Her validation is accepted because it is offered with pure motivation. In a Ford trademark, Lincoln honors Anne's purity by visiting her grave in the middle of winter to seek advice on the path he should take in his life. He speaks to her, as if she were living and eventually takes her advice. Through the voice of Lincoln, Ford gives Anne, the honor she deserves for the importance that her encouragement has in the guiding of Lincoln's destiny.
The Women As A Shaper of Purpose
When we meet Mary Todd, the future Mrs. Lincoln, she is in the company of Stephan Douglas, Lincoln's more prominent rival. Her admiration of Lincoln is established immediately. Ford, portrays Mary Todd as a stable and lively individual, who like Anne Rutledge, sees past Lincoln's country-bumpkin patina, and recognizes him as a man of substance and purpose. Throughout the film, Mary Todd's advances towards Lincoln are bridled with honesty, humor, wit and encouragement for his courage and virtue, letting him know that she is looking for a man quality. When Lincoln stops the lynching of two innocent men, Mary Todd, honors the real man inside of the socially awkward Lincoln.
Later, as Lincoln sits looking out of his office window, preparing for the trail which will later define his place in history, a carriage stops under the gaslight. In the carriage Lincoln sees and Mary Todd out for an evening ride. While Douglas pontificates about his political ambitions, Mary Todd looks up to Lincoln in a moment of quiet, yet reserved longing. With her eyes, she tells her future husband that they are destined together, for she too is destined for greatness.
The Woman As A Maker Of Better Men
For many of the women in John Ford films, they are not only their male counterparts' equal but their long suffering superiors who challenge the men to become the leaders they are destined to be with respect and dignity. In this way, Ford demonstrates that while men may be the governing force of action, the women are the engine in which that action takes place. It is their love, encouragement and goodness that function as the oil for the engine. In many ways Ford's women are the de facto- protagonists in his tremendous and legendary body of work.
John Ford's Young Mr. Lincoln, it is a road truly traveled by intimacy and love by the woman who have not only shaped the destiny of the Great Emancipator, but all of us as a whole.
Link to Nancy Hanks Eulogy and Poem "Nancy Hanks"
http://www.honest-abe.com/nancy_hanks_eulogy.htm
Link to Young Mr. Lincoln on the International Data Base
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032155/
