Martin Scorsese on the films of John Ford | American Masters | PBS

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On February 3, 2006, Martin Scorsese spoke with director Sam Pollard about the partnership between John Ford and John Wayne and how their films have impacted his career. Interview conducted for "American Masters - John Ford / John Wayne: The Filmmaker and the Legend" (2006).
Chapters:
00:00 How "The Quiet Man" influenced Martin Scorsese
04:55 The immigrant experience in John Ford's films
07:36 The visual beauty of "The Searchers"
10:01 How Westerns reflected a growing change in America
14:02 The relationship between Scorsese and his frequent collaborator Robert DeNiro
17:57 The father/son relationship between John Ford and John Wayne
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[@tomsurber2293]

Wonderful to hear his thoughts on "The Quiet Man," which is an all-time classic and one of the greatest movies ever made.

[@RileyRampant]

I love how Scorcese mentions Red River & The Searchers in the same breath. For me, the menace in those characters were Wayne's high points - the roles he was most fitted to play. Ford had to have picked some of that potential in Wayne from Howard Hawks.

[@Bigfrank88]

Ford allegedly, after watching Red River said “who knew the sonofabitch could act”

[@terryoneil7128]

That segway from John Ford to Chuck Jones and the Roadrunner...GOLD😂

[@celticgibson]

I'm Irish and I LOVE The Quiet Man. It's a wonderful movie that playfully handles the time period of Irish culture without ever treating it with disrespect.

[@cinemaipswich4636]

Ford's movies were panoramic. Huge vistas or wide-open landscapes where his method of portraying America, or the landscape of the street.

[@user-xe6wk2ys3f]

Ford was an artist in the true sense of the word. His canvas was the landscape as in Monument Valley, his brush was the camera. Notice how many of his scenes are framed in doorways and windows, he is giving us the opportunity to spy on the characters and is what makes Ford movies an intimate and often emotional experience. I defy anyone to watch How Green Was My Valley or The Quiet Man and not be moved by the experience.

[@robertjones447]

Why I love Scorsese: It's because he is in love with the moving image on cellulose acetate in a way that makes his enthusiasm infectious. He's still that 10 year old boy at the neighborhood bijou. As cynical as many of his pictures are, you can sense his enthusiasm for his heroes and anti-heroes. He makes us care.

[@kiman1609]

I agree, he is an advocate for the power of cinema. I really admire this master.

[@DarthScrewtape27]

It’s so weird when he or Tarantino says something less than blind praise of comic book movies and you see so many essays and refutations of what they’ve said. When it’s no different than the same stuff that they’ve been saying their whole careers. Only now it reaches people who think having seen most of the marvel movies is roughly the same level of expertise as any of these people who have made cinema their whole lives. It sucks when experts have to stoop to be heard by people who were never going to listen.

[@waynemcauliffe2362]

As a Aussie of Irish descent i can tell you a lot of Irish like the old ways how they are portrayed

[@tricksterhoisington1470]

I’m an American of Irish descent and I can tell you “of Irish descent” = Not Irish

[@waynemcauliffe2362]

@@tricksterhoisington1470 Does where i live mate

[@dannyneville1310]

@@waynemcauliffe2362 He probably thinks Ned Kelly was Australian too. Poor sod.

[@waynemcauliffe2362]

@@dannyneville1310 Well he was matey having been born in Victoria Australia. Poor sod

[@EricPease]

More Scorsese please

[@franosbornblaschke3694]

Morsese!

[@jimmcginleysmith9874]

Scorsese is amazingly smart, philosophical and humorous!!!

[@kamuelalee]

Fantastic interview.

[@spactick]

It's interesting how all these directors seem to see films completely different than us members of the audience. They see the DNA (so to speak) of the film. The camera position. The framing/composition of the image on the screen. The lighting etc; For me personally? I'm just rooting for John Wayne or Jimmy Stewart to kick the shit out of the bad guy and get the girl at the end. Camera angle? who cares?

[@travisspazz1624]

And here's me talking about movies: I liked it!

[@marcor7044]

I cant wait for Killers of the Flower Moon

[@samanthab1923]

I’ve got to get the book. To get ready

[@donna25871]

Scorsese’s knowledge of film is mind blowing.

[@eddie12454]

I could listen to Martin all day. Intelligent and passionate. Ford was a great director and as someone once said his films were about sweep, scope, entertainment. The Quiet Man is one of my favourites. It makes me laugh and gets me emotional too. Mr Ford gets the best out of Wayne and O'Hara. The Searchers is a Ford masterpiece. Wayne is superb but don't forget Ford favourite, dear old Ward Bond who gives another fine performance for his director.

[@JohnMinehan-lx9ts]

Scorsese's description of Sicily is not unlike Sean Thornton's experience in The Quiet Man.

[@slammajamma5435]

I fully agree.

[@mgman6000]

I could listen to Marty for hours

[@KeshenMac]

5:07

[@rtc1977]

John ford is god

[@tomtynan8130]

His analysis of Quiet Man of course is amazing; but he misses the context of Western Ireland (Galway) and the post 1916-1922 Irish Revolution. The widow who boldy states that her family has been in Ireland since the Normans; and of course she has the land. So the subtext here is that the Irish gentry has the land and they are above the native Irish People. The subtext of the IRA is also there but in a less threatening ominous way. There are a few reference to blowing houses up etc. The worst sterotype is the drinking culture and the pub scenes probably........

[@eliasmartinez4260]

The first 30 seconds of Marty talking was me lol

[@fernandogcortes]

1.1x Scorcese

[@francesbass1322]

It never ceases to amaze me how people like him criticize what he considers the bad in characters as if they do nothing wrong and have no character flaws yet for instance he divorced five times

[@redblack8414]

@francesbass1322 ''He divorced five times'' and... so what ? What's your freakin problem with that ?

[@user-db6pt7vr3l]

There's a current of 'woke' running through this little man.

[@waynemcauliffe2362]

Here`s to political incorrectness

[@Bigfrank88]

One of the greatest living filmmakers talking about another legendary filmmaker, and this is stupid shit you contribute

[@waynemcauliffe2362]

@@Bigfrank88 Not to fucking me matey obviously

[@123brendan12]

LMAO

[@bondalemecovillage6738]

100%

[@Cameron.Robert]

How bout just talk about movies say your piece and why you like and didnt like and it kind of sorts itself out aye?

[@raymondanka6030]

Scorsese...my favorite film director; he's the best. Films are gutsy and raw, especially Raging Bull (his best) & Good Fellas I loved. Conversely, John Wayne was the most racist SOB that ever worked in Hollywood; his cruel and racist portrayal of his hatred for the Native American (Indian) Aboriginal and Indigenous peoples (Navajo, Apache, Cherokee, etc.) as portrayed in his movies, some directed by John Ford. John Wayne is a perfect representative of the white supremicists that still exist today in America. And Wayne couldn't act worth a shit. He "boo"ed at the Oscars (1973) when Brando refused to accept his "Godfather" Oscar in protest of Hollywood's unfair, vicious and racist treatment of the American Indian. Applause to Marlon Brando; and BOO to you John Wayne, you A-Hole !

[@joemadden4160]

A racist SOB who only ever married women of Spanish ancestry? He was certainly a conservative and bigoted but he was also capable of giving very good performances in films like Red River, The Cowboys, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. You are aware that the FATHER of cinema, DW Griffith, was a racist, right? So tell me, are you going to stop watching movies?

[@ShivaShankar-zn5zp]

Marlon Brando..👑❤️

[@ericmalone3213]

Mr Anka, if you look at Fort Apache & some other Ford westerns, there's a great deal of sympathy for Native Americans. Ford helped the Navajo in Monument Valley a great deal, over the years, & they made him an honorary member of their tribe, giving him the name Natani Nez ("tall soldier"). John Wayne couldn't act worth a shit? Have you seen She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, or On The Wings of Eagles? Duke was a superb actor. Due to huge financial problems (his money manager lost his fortune) Wayne had to work constantly for over a decade to make his money back, & he made a lot of bad movies, but he was certainly not a bad actor. The most racist person in Hollywood was Walter Brennan, who suspected Wayne of being a "closet communist" because Wayne had once voted for a Democrat & had said "I didn't vote for John F. Kennedy, but he's our president now, so he has my full support." Most of Duke's close pals were liberal democrats (Henry Fonda, Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum, Dudley Nichols, et al). "John Wayne is a perfect representative of the white supremicists that still exist today in America." Ah, no. Wayne was once invited to a John Birch society meeting, & told them, "You're all completely paranoid and completely nuts!" He'd also be completely horrified by what the GOP has become, & most certainly horrified by Trump, MAGA nut jobs, & the insurrection.

[@joemadden4160]

@@ericmalone3213 Quite the speech and then you blew it in the last 3 sentences. 1. Trump is NOT a racist 2. Make America Great Again followers are NOT racist either. Please explain the record turnout of different cultures for Trump. 3. There was an insurrection? According to who? That panel of communofascists? Last time I checked the PEOPLE of the UNITED States OWN those buildings. But maybe I've got that wrong. Maybe those buildings were built only for the PHAROAHS or KINGS and the men, women and children that died defending the U.S. and their ancestors don't deserve to enter the buildings that they gave their TAXES and BLOOD for.

[@peterbartolomeo5542]

You have NO IDEA WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT. WAYNE ALWAYS RESPECTED AND STOOD UP FOR NATIVE AMERICANS AND MEXICANS. HE MARRIED TWO MEXICAN WOMEN. YOU HEAR THINGS ON THESE LEFTIST MEDIUMS AND YOU REPEAT THEM YOUR NOT QUALIFIED TO ATTACK SOMEONE YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT. I HAVE HOLLYWOOD PEOPLE ACTORS PRODUCERS IN MY FAMILY. JOHN WAYNE WAS THE BIGGEST THING IN HOLLYWOOD EVER. HE DIDNT CATER TO LEFTIST COMMUNISTS AND IN THAT INDUSTRY COMMUNIST LEFTIST JEWS CONTROL THE SHOW. WAKE UP AND RESEARCH BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND FIND A FOOT IN UT

[@gopher7691]

His worst film is the searchers

[@irish66]

Well I don't know if it's his worst. But I certainly believe it's overrated, Of the Wayne films mentioned, I think Red River is the best.

[@gopher7691]

John ford is overrated

[@Bigfrank88]

You could just say you don’t know much about film.

[@gopher7691]

@@Bigfrank88 the searchers sucks. His misogynistic portrayal of women in this and other films is on of the annoying in about him. But the performances he out of every actor are just plain weird and off putting. To each his own I guess.

[@dannyneville1310]

@@gopher7691 Boohoo.

[@gopher7691]

@@dannyneville1310 ?????

[@thewandering525]

Nah, that's Scorsese.

[@johnsmith-tr3dh]

Wow, Scorsese's gone woke . . . . . sad sad sad

[@Bigfrank88]

These points have been mentioned by critics in regards to Ford’s work since the 60s. There’s nothing to do with wokeness, you just don’t know what you’re talking about.

[@thewandering525]

@@Bigfrank88 You're right, and it's a big reason why listening to Scorsese talk about Ford is really boring.

[@Bigfrank88]

@@thewandering525 Nowhere near as boring as your weak troll game

[@thewandering525]

@@Bigfrank88 I didn't realize having an unpopular opinion constitutes trolling.

[@Bigfrank88]

@@thewandering525 Nah but an uniformed one is.