John Wayne is an Irish-American ex-boxer named Sean Thornton, who returns to his birthplace of Ireland, specifically Inisfree, to buy back the cottage he was born in. Naturally there is a heated disagreement through his neighbor, an embittered Red Will (Victor McLaglen), who doesn't want Thornton as a neighbor. Red Will also wants Sean to stay away from his Irish lass of a sister, the spinster Mary Kate (the truly wonderful, spirited Maureen O'Hara). Of course, you can't keep a fiery redhead and a headstrong Irishman apart for long (this culminates in Wayne and O'Hara's famous first kiss while the wind blows in the background and through the cottage. It is a scene that can stop time, not to mention a strong moment of intimacy in a rainstorm by a graveyard).
There are Irish traditions of courting that are at odds with Thornton's American traditions. For one, there is to be no physical contact during the courting, which is accompanied by the horse carriage driver and matchmaker Flynn (Barry Fitzgerald). Sean must not put his arms on Mary Kate if he is to lift her off of the carriage, a simple clasping of hands will do. The other tradition is that the brother must give away his sister (their parents are no longer around), and Red Will refuses simply because he himself is not married and needs a woman to run the house. There is a set-up during a horse race that is better seen than explained (it involves bonnets) and it shows how difficult it is to marry a woman - the process seems a bit grueling.
The cast works to perfection. Wayne and O'Hara make one of the best silver screen couples ever and it shows how much love there is despite the rocky roads (quite literally). Wayne shows a more gentle tough guy at first - later on, this guy is rather rough when dragging Mary Kate over 5 miles of rough terrain for a climactic fight with Red Will. O'Hara also shows gentleness yet a fierce demeanor at the same time - she will not bow down to just any man (she can deliver a punch and is forthright about her emotions). I can see why O'Hara thought of this movie as her favorite - after all, it probably helped that she was born in Ireland as well.
It was a great casting coup to get the boisterous Victor McLaglen as the stubborn Red Will, who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and through his bulky physicality. Also worth mentioning is Ward Bond as a priest, Father Peter Lonergan, who hates to be interrupted when catching a fish. And let's not forget Barry Fitzgerald as the chaperone and matchmaker Michaleen Flynn - he also imbues the spirit and sweetness of himself and the townsfolk yet he clings with an iron hand on upholding tradition.
"The Quiet Man" may have its Irish stereotypes (the guys at the bar singing and drinking to their heart's content, the betting over a fistfight) but they add immeasurably to the proceedings - you believe them as a fun-loving group who only want to be content. Same with Sean and Mary Kate and though the romance takes its time beyond their marriage and a little matter involving her dowry, the same richness and optimism of their very souls gives us something to aspire to. The Irish setting (astounding Technicolor cinematography by Winton C. Hoch who later lensed "The Searchers") with its rock beds, rocky bridges, the slightly grayish sea, the rolling green hills, and the cottage with its green doors makes this one of the most beautiful and lushly romantic love stories ever made. "The Quiet Man" is one of the greatest, most pleasurable entertainments ever produced by a Hollywood studio.
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