This movie tugged at my heart strings like few others. I was thoroughly immersed in the lives of the Morgans and found myself especially drawn to young Huw's trials, tribulations, and triumphs. The scene where he taps his fork twice and sneezes before he is acknowledged by his father was poignant beyond belief. Despite the hardships and tragedies there is also warmth and humor such as when family friends of the Morgans visit the schoolmaster after he had been especially harsh with Huw. The romantic aspect of the film is also well done by its primary principles, Angharad and the pastor. All in all the films does a magnificent job of capturing the lives of a family in a bygone time and place. There is no doubt that this is a great film and the fact that it beat out the likes of Citizen Kane for Best Picture is a testament to that fact. 9/10.
190 Reviews
Maybe it deserved that Best Picture Oscar after all... maybe...
ElMaruecan8229 November 2018
How green was Ford's valley...
... and how red were Maureen O'Sullivan's hair... in her loveless marriage to the mine owner's son, she walks with the solemnity of Marie Antoinette taken to the guillotine, her long veil embracing the wind and trying to fly away like some encaged bird. The veil stays in place... and so does the man she loved whose silhouette appears behind in the distance.
A lesser director would have gratified us with a close-up showing the man's devastation but Ford cares for the big picture. One large shot speaks a thousand words, and "How Green Was My Valley" counts hundreds of such eloquent shots. Here's another one: in "The Grapes of Wrath", as the Joads move out to California, Ma Joad (Jane Darnell) chooses not to give a last look toward their farm for time is not for the past. "How Green" opens with a close-up of an aging woman looking toward the mines with eyes that convey both nostalgia and sadness.
This is a woman who didn't move and witnessed the slow decay of the once green valley through the darkening effect of industrialization. That image captures the emotional spirit of John Ford's Best Picture winner (yes, the one that beat "Citizen Kane" and "The Maltese Falcon") : the universal paradox of life is that it takes climbing the valley to admire how beautiful the view was, especially with children's eyes of wonder. And never has such a vision been so hypnotically beautiful as in the adaptation of Richard Llewely's book.
It might strike as an ironic title for a movie made of black-and-white splendor, but the green is secondary when it's all about emotions. This is not a movie for purists determined to spot the flaws within accents and proudly state the obvious, this is a film for viewers who wish to have an instant of pure old-school Hollywood-style melodrama from its most emblematic director: John Ford. Ford said it was his favorite movie and so did Clint Eastwood. Interesting from two men who owed their stardom to the Western genre to pick a movie that is just a slice of life tainted with pure nostalgia.
Or maybe is it because Western was embodying the "childhood" of America and this is why "How Green Was My Valley" hits that sensitive chord. It echoes a sublimated vision of a past that no longer exists, an order sacrificed at the altar of modernity and materialism, like a purified vision of the Old West (without the desperadoes). It is an idealistic dream from the start, the valley of Wales (which strangely resemble the industrialist setting of Zola's masterpiece "Germinal") looks like the pastoral heaven where coal miners work hard, ruled by entrusted owners, women keeping the house, and priests herding their sheep.
The story is told from a narrator who's living after fifty years, assembling his belongings in the shawl that belonged to his mother. He's Huw, the youngest of the Morgan boys, played by Roddy McDowall. He captures the spirit of the film, the fact that we all look at our past with our child eyes, reminiscing an idyllic time where each member was set on a pedestal of love and respectability. And like a romantic painter, Ford addresses a magnificent portrait of the Morgan family as a monument of stability at a time where Old Europe became the arena of bloody battles.
It was the war indeed that prevented the shooting to be set in Wales and turned the Malibu valley into a Welsh village. Needless to say that Darryl Zanuck had to downplay his ambitions to make his "Gone With the Wind", a four-hour epic in all Technicolor. But Ford knew that black-and-white was the best way to express the film's old-fashioned values through his mastery of large and haunting shots and a palette of darkness and lighting. John Ford was one hell of a storyteller and where any lesser director could have turned the melodrama into something linear and mawkish, Ford turns it into a work of art that conveys his own nostalgia of Ireland.
Yes, there are instants where the film feels preachy when too socially loaded or stagey when too melodramatic but the child perspective is the soul of the film. The film opens with the family reunion, the patriarch Mr. Morgan (Donald Crisp) cuts the bread to his sons, makes the prayer while the mother (Sara Allgood) is the last to start the meal and the first to finish, she's the pillar of the little community and while the film strikes as a man's movie, it leaves no doubt about who's the real boss in the house. The idyllic picture doesn't last for too long as we're quickly immersed in the workers' plight and the threats of strikes pending over them.
The workers' plights are less to emphasize the political content but to show how, in one instant, the father has turned into an old relic of the part. And this is what the father is, and the last monologue conveys the idea that men like him can never die, and that one can live without the past. Maybe this is why the film was such an instant favorite, it reconciled Americans with a past when the present was grim and the future uncertain. Maybe this is why it is the most Fordian of all Ford's films.
There are a few oddities here and there, keeping Roddy McDowall instead of hiring an older actor made a few interactions rather awkward, the actor who played the bigot priest was overacting, Walter Pidgeon's performance better fitted for a movie directed by Wyler (he was the initial choice)... but the film is so full of visual and haunting scenery that one can't ignore its emotional beauty, it is a vision embellished from the past that emphasizes the dissolution of many American values just like "Citizen Kane" did... in a more intellectual way.
Maybe it deserved that Best Picture after all...
... and how red were Maureen O'Sullivan's hair... in her loveless marriage to the mine owner's son, she walks with the solemnity of Marie Antoinette taken to the guillotine, her long veil embracing the wind and trying to fly away like some encaged bird. The veil stays in place... and so does the man she loved whose silhouette appears behind in the distance.
A lesser director would have gratified us with a close-up showing the man's devastation but Ford cares for the big picture. One large shot speaks a thousand words, and "How Green Was My Valley" counts hundreds of such eloquent shots. Here's another one: in "The Grapes of Wrath", as the Joads move out to California, Ma Joad (Jane Darnell) chooses not to give a last look toward their farm for time is not for the past. "How Green" opens with a close-up of an aging woman looking toward the mines with eyes that convey both nostalgia and sadness.
This is a woman who didn't move and witnessed the slow decay of the once green valley through the darkening effect of industrialization. That image captures the emotional spirit of John Ford's Best Picture winner (yes, the one that beat "Citizen Kane" and "The Maltese Falcon") : the universal paradox of life is that it takes climbing the valley to admire how beautiful the view was, especially with children's eyes of wonder. And never has such a vision been so hypnotically beautiful as in the adaptation of Richard Llewely's book.
It might strike as an ironic title for a movie made of black-and-white splendor, but the green is secondary when it's all about emotions. This is not a movie for purists determined to spot the flaws within accents and proudly state the obvious, this is a film for viewers who wish to have an instant of pure old-school Hollywood-style melodrama from its most emblematic director: John Ford. Ford said it was his favorite movie and so did Clint Eastwood. Interesting from two men who owed their stardom to the Western genre to pick a movie that is just a slice of life tainted with pure nostalgia.
Or maybe is it because Western was embodying the "childhood" of America and this is why "How Green Was My Valley" hits that sensitive chord. It echoes a sublimated vision of a past that no longer exists, an order sacrificed at the altar of modernity and materialism, like a purified vision of the Old West (without the desperadoes). It is an idealistic dream from the start, the valley of Wales (which strangely resemble the industrialist setting of Zola's masterpiece "Germinal") looks like the pastoral heaven where coal miners work hard, ruled by entrusted owners, women keeping the house, and priests herding their sheep.
The story is told from a narrator who's living after fifty years, assembling his belongings in the shawl that belonged to his mother. He's Huw, the youngest of the Morgan boys, played by Roddy McDowall. He captures the spirit of the film, the fact that we all look at our past with our child eyes, reminiscing an idyllic time where each member was set on a pedestal of love and respectability. And like a romantic painter, Ford addresses a magnificent portrait of the Morgan family as a monument of stability at a time where Old Europe became the arena of bloody battles.
It was the war indeed that prevented the shooting to be set in Wales and turned the Malibu valley into a Welsh village. Needless to say that Darryl Zanuck had to downplay his ambitions to make his "Gone With the Wind", a four-hour epic in all Technicolor. But Ford knew that black-and-white was the best way to express the film's old-fashioned values through his mastery of large and haunting shots and a palette of darkness and lighting. John Ford was one hell of a storyteller and where any lesser director could have turned the melodrama into something linear and mawkish, Ford turns it into a work of art that conveys his own nostalgia of Ireland.
Yes, there are instants where the film feels preachy when too socially loaded or stagey when too melodramatic but the child perspective is the soul of the film. The film opens with the family reunion, the patriarch Mr. Morgan (Donald Crisp) cuts the bread to his sons, makes the prayer while the mother (Sara Allgood) is the last to start the meal and the first to finish, she's the pillar of the little community and while the film strikes as a man's movie, it leaves no doubt about who's the real boss in the house. The idyllic picture doesn't last for too long as we're quickly immersed in the workers' plight and the threats of strikes pending over them.
The workers' plights are less to emphasize the political content but to show how, in one instant, the father has turned into an old relic of the part. And this is what the father is, and the last monologue conveys the idea that men like him can never die, and that one can live without the past. Maybe this is why the film was such an instant favorite, it reconciled Americans with a past when the present was grim and the future uncertain. Maybe this is why it is the most Fordian of all Ford's films.
There are a few oddities here and there, keeping Roddy McDowall instead of hiring an older actor made a few interactions rather awkward, the actor who played the bigot priest was overacting, Walter Pidgeon's performance better fitted for a movie directed by Wyler (he was the initial choice)... but the film is so full of visual and haunting scenery that one can't ignore its emotional beauty, it is a vision embellished from the past that emphasizes the dissolution of many American values just like "Citizen Kane" did... in a more intellectual way.
Maybe it deserved that Best Picture after all...
It swiped the Oscar in front of Citizen Kane's nose
Bored_Dragon30 April 2020
Best Picture in 1941, Academy Awards for directing and black-and-white cinematography, a total of five Oscars out of ten nominations. Nine out of ten were clear to me long before the movie ended, but for most of its duration, I wondered how the hell something so boring and needless was nominated for Best Screenplay. During the first hour, I had thought of giving up. I didn't. And so I kept watching and watching until the end and a good chunk of time after the movie was over I was still staring at the black screen. Maybe there's not much going on in this movie, but the atmosphere of one past time, the emotion it conveys, and the impressions it left, totally dazed me. And now I can not even understand anymore how this could have been boring... It defeated "Citizen Kane" and it beat it deservedly.
8/10
8/10
A Family Film In Every Sense Of The Word.
bkoganbing16 August 2004
There has been a tendency to downgrade How Green Was My Valley recently because it beat out Citizen Kane for Best Picture of 1941. It turned out to be John Ford's only win in that department. Because Citizen Kane now is lauded as the best film EVER, How Green Was My Valley lost a bit of luster. Yet on its own merits it's a fine film and can be seen again and again without any boredom.
It's like Ford's Liberty Valance in that it shows the progress that the world's first industrial society, 19th century Great Britain as reflected in that Welsh valley, just like the settling of the American West in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. It's the reverse here, the valley is a place people leave, or at least a lot of the good ones. Nearly all the Morgan children and Walter Pidgeon who plays the minister.
1941 and 1942 marked the high point in the career of Walter Pidgeon. He never quite made the top rung of actors at his home studio of MGM. Yet in those two years he happened to star in both the films the Academy designated as Best Picture, this one and Mrs. Miniver in 1942. He's an outsider, arriving full of ideals and then forced to leave to stop gossip about him and Maureen O'Hara.
Maureen O'Hara made her John Ford debut in How Green Was My valley as the lovely and fetching Angharad. She and Pidgeon are in love, but Pidgeon does not want to inflict is life of denial on her. They give each other up and later their relationship is the cause of gossip.
Arthur Shields the lesser known brother of Barry Fitzgerald is the head of the deacons at Pidgeon's church. A narrow, bitter man he's one of a string of religious hypocrite characters that Ford has in his films. Offhand I can think of Willis Bouchey in The Last Hurrah and Grant Withers in Fort Apache. Barry's in this too, playing the comical Cynfartha.
The center of the film is the Morgan family headed by Donald Crisp and Sara Allgood. Playing Morgan patriarch Gwyllym Morgan, Crisp gets the Best Supporting Actor for this wonderful portrayal of strength and dignity. Sara Allgood matches him every step of the way.
Besides Pidgeon and O'Hara, the rest of the film revolves around the generational conflicts between the conservative father and his more broadminded sons who want to get a union started. In 1941 America that was a timely theme as our American Labor movement got its first backing from a friendly government in the New Deal. The labor troubles that the Morgans and the other Welsh coalminers in the valley deal with was a very relevant.
One of the great things about this is that Ford never takes sides here. Donald Crisp is never shown as a reactionary fool for his opposition to unionization. Indeed Ford puts him on a pedestal for sticking to his beliefs.
All this is seen through the eyes of young Hugh Morgan, played by Roddy McDowall in his first major part as a juvenile and narrated in flashback by British actor Irving Pichel as the adult Hugh. McDowell has his own troubles here, he and Sara Allgood fall in a freezing river and both have health problems afterward. McDowell is the first of the Morgans to go to school and he's bullied by both pupils and a snobbish teacher. Young McDowell is taught to box by Rhys Williams to take care of the kids and later Rhys Williams as Dai Bando, an ex-pugilist takes matters in his own hands with the teacher in the films most hilarious scene.
As we move into the post industrial age, the labor themes of How Green Was My Valley seem quaint. But the family travails, and heartaches, and triumphs with that 19th Century Welsh Coalmining family are timeless. This is the real genius of John Ford.
It's like Ford's Liberty Valance in that it shows the progress that the world's first industrial society, 19th century Great Britain as reflected in that Welsh valley, just like the settling of the American West in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. It's the reverse here, the valley is a place people leave, or at least a lot of the good ones. Nearly all the Morgan children and Walter Pidgeon who plays the minister.
1941 and 1942 marked the high point in the career of Walter Pidgeon. He never quite made the top rung of actors at his home studio of MGM. Yet in those two years he happened to star in both the films the Academy designated as Best Picture, this one and Mrs. Miniver in 1942. He's an outsider, arriving full of ideals and then forced to leave to stop gossip about him and Maureen O'Hara.
Maureen O'Hara made her John Ford debut in How Green Was My valley as the lovely and fetching Angharad. She and Pidgeon are in love, but Pidgeon does not want to inflict is life of denial on her. They give each other up and later their relationship is the cause of gossip.
Arthur Shields the lesser known brother of Barry Fitzgerald is the head of the deacons at Pidgeon's church. A narrow, bitter man he's one of a string of religious hypocrite characters that Ford has in his films. Offhand I can think of Willis Bouchey in The Last Hurrah and Grant Withers in Fort Apache. Barry's in this too, playing the comical Cynfartha.
The center of the film is the Morgan family headed by Donald Crisp and Sara Allgood. Playing Morgan patriarch Gwyllym Morgan, Crisp gets the Best Supporting Actor for this wonderful portrayal of strength and dignity. Sara Allgood matches him every step of the way.
Besides Pidgeon and O'Hara, the rest of the film revolves around the generational conflicts between the conservative father and his more broadminded sons who want to get a union started. In 1941 America that was a timely theme as our American Labor movement got its first backing from a friendly government in the New Deal. The labor troubles that the Morgans and the other Welsh coalminers in the valley deal with was a very relevant.
One of the great things about this is that Ford never takes sides here. Donald Crisp is never shown as a reactionary fool for his opposition to unionization. Indeed Ford puts him on a pedestal for sticking to his beliefs.
All this is seen through the eyes of young Hugh Morgan, played by Roddy McDowall in his first major part as a juvenile and narrated in flashback by British actor Irving Pichel as the adult Hugh. McDowell has his own troubles here, he and Sara Allgood fall in a freezing river and both have health problems afterward. McDowell is the first of the Morgans to go to school and he's bullied by both pupils and a snobbish teacher. Young McDowell is taught to box by Rhys Williams to take care of the kids and later Rhys Williams as Dai Bando, an ex-pugilist takes matters in his own hands with the teacher in the films most hilarious scene.
As we move into the post industrial age, the labor themes of How Green Was My Valley seem quaint. But the family travails, and heartaches, and triumphs with that 19th Century Welsh Coalmining family are timeless. This is the real genius of John Ford.
A John Ford Masterpiece
gbheron25 December 1999
John Ford's film of social and familial change details the chilling effects hard economic times have on a large, but tight-knit Welsh coal mining family around the turn of the last century. Told in narrative flashback by the youngest of seven children (5 young men and a young lady) it begins when the coalmines are new, the valley still green, and the village cohesive and close-knit. As economic times worsen, the family and community fray and slowly disintegrate. The backdrop village becomes darker and smokier as the family fights valiantly to remain together. But unlike the treatment the story would probably get today, the family does not lose its dignity.
There is not much, if anything, to criticize in this movie, it's one of the best ever.
There is not much, if anything, to criticize in this movie, it's one of the best ever.
A Welch valley
jotix10031 August 2004
John Ford was a director with a vision bigger than life, as demonstrated by his films. Richard Lewellyn's novel must have been one source of inspiration for bringing to life this story about a small town in Wales. The director had the good fortune to have Arthur Miller as his cinematographer for this tale about the stark conditions about the miners' lives. The small town comes alive by the vivid account one sees on the screen. At times, what we are witnessing before our eyes, remind us of the work of great photographers such as Margaret Bourke-White, whose pictures for the old Life magazine parallel Mr. Miller's stark photography in the film.
Mr. Ford uses songs in most of his films. In this movie as well as in The Quiet Man, this device enhances what we are watching. The songs are diversions for the stark reality in the miners' lives. Their every day misery is somehow eased when they sing with clear voices ancient folk melodies they, and their forefathers, have always known.
The Morgan family is at the center of the story. We hear the narration from Huw, the youngest member of this family. All the men work in the mine; they are all disillusioned by the working conditions and meager wages that they give without hesitation to the matriarch when they are paid. They appear content at the beginning of the film, but we watch them gradually abandon their village in search of a better life; who can blame them?
The cast assembled by Mr. Ford is first rate. Donald Crisp, as the patriarch of the Morgan family outdoes himself in this film. Walter Pidgeon as the local church pastor is excellent. The young and radiant beauty of Maureen O'Hara was so powerful, we can't stop watching her for a moment when she is on screen. Roddy McDowall as the youngest child of the clan in his first appearance is also a magnetic presence that holds the viewer's attention all the time.
The rest of the actors do incredible ensemble work to support the principals. Anna Lee, John Loder, Barry Fitzgerald, Anne Todd make us believe they are the characters they are playing.
Ultimately this is a John Ford's triumph. He is the force that welds everything together and in spite of all the bad things that happen to the family and the town, he seems to be telling us there still is hope and life will continue.
Mr. Ford uses songs in most of his films. In this movie as well as in The Quiet Man, this device enhances what we are watching. The songs are diversions for the stark reality in the miners' lives. Their every day misery is somehow eased when they sing with clear voices ancient folk melodies they, and their forefathers, have always known.
The Morgan family is at the center of the story. We hear the narration from Huw, the youngest member of this family. All the men work in the mine; they are all disillusioned by the working conditions and meager wages that they give without hesitation to the matriarch when they are paid. They appear content at the beginning of the film, but we watch them gradually abandon their village in search of a better life; who can blame them?
The cast assembled by Mr. Ford is first rate. Donald Crisp, as the patriarch of the Morgan family outdoes himself in this film. Walter Pidgeon as the local church pastor is excellent. The young and radiant beauty of Maureen O'Hara was so powerful, we can't stop watching her for a moment when she is on screen. Roddy McDowall as the youngest child of the clan in his first appearance is also a magnetic presence that holds the viewer's attention all the time.
The rest of the actors do incredible ensemble work to support the principals. Anna Lee, John Loder, Barry Fitzgerald, Anne Todd make us believe they are the characters they are playing.
Ultimately this is a John Ford's triumph. He is the force that welds everything together and in spite of all the bad things that happen to the family and the town, he seems to be telling us there still is hope and life will continue.
How Green was my Valley was the greatest film of all time.
Ed-68327 February 2006
Greatest movie of all time. I saw this first during World War II, and it made such an impression upon me that I had to go back time after time. Now 60 years later it lingers in my memory over any other movie I have ever seen. No movie before or since has left such a lasting impression upon me.
It could easily be brought back to the modern screen as a classic film that will never die. I wish I could own it on DVD, but I have no idea where I can obtain it. It would be at the top of classic films of all time as an asset in my library. It appeared at a time in our history when the world was being torn asunder and we did not know what tomorrow would bring. It was so uplifting at a time when we needed that uplift.
It could easily be brought back to the modern screen as a classic film that will never die. I wish I could own it on DVD, but I have no idea where I can obtain it. It would be at the top of classic films of all time as an asset in my library. It appeared at a time in our history when the world was being torn asunder and we did not know what tomorrow would bring. It was so uplifting at a time when we needed that uplift.
Lost paradise?
dbdumonteil26 April 2004
The story is told by an adult who remembers his childhood:Roddy McDowall gives a very sensitive performance in this part,he's simply the best actor of a topflight cast (to think that nowadays McDowall is remembered by the young generations mainly for his part of Cornelius the ape)All the scenes which involve the boy are simply wonderful,particularly the one with the daffodils (it 'd have been shot in color!),and the one with his father in his arms at the end.John Ford ,as usual , is a master when it comes to depict a small community who's got to stand together to survive.And he does not spare us the tragedies ,the bigotry ,the slander,but he adds humor,joie de vivre (the men,turning their nose on tea and wanting beer).
But sometimes it seems too good to be true:the boss's offspring marrying a miner's daughter,even when she's a beauty like Maureen O'Hara?The boss asking the poor father's permission?We are far from Emile Zola's "Germinal" :both stories happen about during the same era ,both with the miners' life both are radically different.Zola's world is a bleak,desperate world ,his depiction of the families' houses and meals (when there is food) and the pictures of Ford's movie are worlds apart.But the biggest difference is the omnipresence of the Lord's will:in "how green" the minister is a cool young handsome man (Pidgeon),in "Germinal" ,the priest's only a silhouette,but a selfish cruel one,unconcerned to man's plight:Zola's miners do not put their trust in a God anymore .
Wales and the east of France ,were they that much different?You can only say they were novels and movies,and reality is probably somewhere between them.
But sometimes it seems too good to be true:the boss's offspring marrying a miner's daughter,even when she's a beauty like Maureen O'Hara?The boss asking the poor father's permission?We are far from Emile Zola's "Germinal" :both stories happen about during the same era ,both with the miners' life both are radically different.Zola's world is a bleak,desperate world ,his depiction of the families' houses and meals (when there is food) and the pictures of Ford's movie are worlds apart.But the biggest difference is the omnipresence of the Lord's will:in "how green" the minister is a cool young handsome man (Pidgeon),in "Germinal" ,the priest's only a silhouette,but a selfish cruel one,unconcerned to man's plight:Zola's miners do not put their trust in a God anymore .
Wales and the east of France ,were they that much different?You can only say they were novels and movies,and reality is probably somewhere between them.
How Disjointed Is This Movie
bigverybadtom15 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Admittedly I watched this with the idea that this movie was such a classic and had great performers in it. It wasn't quite as good as I had expected.
People have panned this for the performers not having proper Welsh accents or the scenario looking too much like California. But the truth is that even without World War Two going on, the Hollywood film industry was actually in bad financial shape during the Great Depression like everybody else, and it would have been too expensive and difficult to make everything properly look and sound like Wales, let alone go on location. The idea was to show essentially a poor mining town, even if the settings didn't match the interiors of actual Welsh houses.
I have not seen the book, so I cannot say how well the movie follows it. Admittedly the major problem was that the script was rather disjointed. It starts off with the protagonist talking about leaving his village and describing how it was when he was growing up. The first part has the miners going on strike when their wages are cut, and the father denounces the idea of his sons joining a labor union (though not explaining why). Later on, the mine owner's son wants to marry the family's daughter, and she is in love with the local preacher but marries the son anyway. Huw, the son who tells the story, is sent to the local school, gets bullied by classmates and teacher, fights back, and eventually graduates with honors, but chooses to work in the mine. That is never explained either.
The movie's fundamental problem is that things happen one after another, but without explanations about people's attitudes and why they are what they are, or why people make certain choices which seem illogical. In the end, we don't even know why the protagonist finally leaves the valley when he does, or what he plans to do.
People have panned this for the performers not having proper Welsh accents or the scenario looking too much like California. But the truth is that even without World War Two going on, the Hollywood film industry was actually in bad financial shape during the Great Depression like everybody else, and it would have been too expensive and difficult to make everything properly look and sound like Wales, let alone go on location. The idea was to show essentially a poor mining town, even if the settings didn't match the interiors of actual Welsh houses.
I have not seen the book, so I cannot say how well the movie follows it. Admittedly the major problem was that the script was rather disjointed. It starts off with the protagonist talking about leaving his village and describing how it was when he was growing up. The first part has the miners going on strike when their wages are cut, and the father denounces the idea of his sons joining a labor union (though not explaining why). Later on, the mine owner's son wants to marry the family's daughter, and she is in love with the local preacher but marries the son anyway. Huw, the son who tells the story, is sent to the local school, gets bullied by classmates and teacher, fights back, and eventually graduates with honors, but chooses to work in the mine. That is never explained either.
The movie's fundamental problem is that things happen one after another, but without explanations about people's attitudes and why they are what they are, or why people make certain choices which seem illogical. In the end, we don't even know why the protagonist finally leaves the valley when he does, or what he plans to do.
What a Magnificent Movie!
claudio_carvalho17 October 2005
In Wales, Huw Morgan recalls his childhood fifty years ago, in the end of Nineteenth Century. In a green valley, where the colliery is the unique economical activity, Huw (Roddy McDowall), his brothers and his sister are raised by his beloved parents, Mr. Gwilym Morgan Sr. (Donald Crisp) and Mrs. Beth Morgan (Sara Allgood). In times of changes and exploitations of the worker class, the young workers try to gather their power in a labor union and fight against the unemployed reserve army with a strike, while Mr. Morgan is against their movement. Along the years, the situation of the dwellers gets worse and worse, with poverty, while the coal mine blackens the hills of the valley with the slag.
What a magnificent movie "How Green Was My Valley" is! This is the first time I see this movie, and I am really excited with such masterpiece. The outstanding and awesome direction of John Ford certainly deserved the Oscar he won in 1942. The story is excellent, with drama and romance in a period of economical and political changes in the world. There are many important and strong characters, built with heart by the cast, and I was particularly impressed with the touching performance of Roddy McDowall, in the role of a boy with strong personality and moral qualities. The awarded black and white cinematography is also remarkable. The wonderful metaphoric title completes this classic. My vote is ten.
Title (Brazil): "Como Era Verde Meu Vale" ("How Green Was My Valley")
What a magnificent movie "How Green Was My Valley" is! This is the first time I see this movie, and I am really excited with such masterpiece. The outstanding and awesome direction of John Ford certainly deserved the Oscar he won in 1942. The story is excellent, with drama and romance in a period of economical and political changes in the world. There are many important and strong characters, built with heart by the cast, and I was particularly impressed with the touching performance of Roddy McDowall, in the role of a boy with strong personality and moral qualities. The awarded black and white cinematography is also remarkable. The wonderful metaphoric title completes this classic. My vote is ten.
Title (Brazil): "Como Era Verde Meu Vale" ("How Green Was My Valley")
The best and the worst is the music
richard-178726 October 2010
Warning: Spoilers
It's hard for me to separate this movie from the story, to talk about the qualities of the movie as separate from those of the book.
For me, the best and the worst of this movie lies in the music. The male choruses, often sung in Welsh, are truly beautiful. The story - there is no plot - is at best episodic. The only thing that gives it any coherence is the choral music, and that is very beautiful.
On the other hand, a lot of the background music is far too sentimental, and takes the movie over the edge. Had there been no music whatsoever, some of those scenes would have been far more powerful. The music, frankly, trivializes them.
The thing that most struck me with this movie, however, were the differences from Germinal, Zola's novel about miners not far from Wales, in northeastern France. Zola could find no nobility in their suffering; he depicted them over and over as bestial animals. This movie gives their suffering a nobility that no amount of sentimental music can lessen.
Men and women such as these are not perfect. Who among us is? But their suffering deserves respectful treatment. Zola did not believe that; John Ford, the director of this movie, did. The difference is telling, and it is what makes this such a moving movie.
Postscript written after having read the novel:
I read the novel after writing the above review and then watched the movie again. Frankly, I don't recommend that to anyone. The novel is long, 500 pages, and the movie, of necessity, condenses some of it and simply omits other parts. After you have read the novel, you see just how hastily some things are condensed and what is left out or, in some few instances, changed. I would not say it is a particularly good condensation.
The most striking change is the end. In the movie there is another mine cave-in and a party of miners, led by the preacher, finds the elder Morgan, who dies in the still very young Huw's arms. It is, of course, moving, but since the movie closes on the images from his past that Huw subsequently recollects we are left, at the end, not with the dying father but with Maureen O'Hara smiling and waiving at a smiling Walter Pidgeon. A romantic end.
The novel's end is far more somber. During a particularly bitter strike Huw's father goes down in the mines to see if they are starting to flood. Cyfartha is also down there working. Both men get caught in a cave-in. Dai Bando, almost blind, goes down with Huw to find them. (The preacher has by then left for South America and is no longer in the picture, so to speak.) After much digging they first find Cyfartha, whom Dai Bando, weeping, carries to the surface. (We are left to wonder if the very deep bond between these two men had been more than just a deep friendship, but the text never says more.) Then Huw finds his father, and holds him until he, too, dies. It is a very painful scene.
Other than that, the chronology is sometimes changed from the novel to the movie, prompted in part, perhaps, by the fact that since Huw is always played by the young Roddy McDowall, he never grows into the very adult man that Huw becomes in the novel. The two brothers who leave for America do so much earlier in the movie than in the novel, for example.
Huw's one sexual encounter, with Ceinwein up on the mountain, never takes place in the movie, perhaps because Roddy McDowall doesn't look old enough for sex, perhaps just for the morals code of the time. In the same sense, Huw's subsequent unrealized desires for Bron are never introduced.
The preacher never leaves for South America, probably because he is played by the lead actor. It is also hard to understand why the town condemns him and Angharad, as in the movie he does not visit her every evening at her home. More morals code, no doubt.
The disputes between the minors and the owners are played down in the movie, perhaps because, during the war, unions were expected not to strike "for the war effort."
Llewellyn's efforts to convey the Welsh his characters are speaking by using a similar syntax in English are almost completely erased in the movie. Indeed, the very fact that these characters are usually speaking Welsh and not English is largely ignored. It's a very important part of the novel and the world that Llewellyn described, which saw itself very much put upon by outsiders=Englishmen, so it is a shame all that is lost. Some of the Celtic folklore is also lost. Beth's claim that Ivor came to speak to her, very much a part of the Celtic belief in visitations from spirits of the dead (présignes, in French) is completely changed in the movie.
A movie should be not judged on how well it adapts the material from which it derives, unless it is some sort of documentary. Taken as is, this is a good movie. But once you have read the novel, you see that its story is more somber, and it is hard not to regret that some of that was lost in the conversion.
For me, the best and the worst of this movie lies in the music. The male choruses, often sung in Welsh, are truly beautiful. The story - there is no plot - is at best episodic. The only thing that gives it any coherence is the choral music, and that is very beautiful.
On the other hand, a lot of the background music is far too sentimental, and takes the movie over the edge. Had there been no music whatsoever, some of those scenes would have been far more powerful. The music, frankly, trivializes them.
The thing that most struck me with this movie, however, were the differences from Germinal, Zola's novel about miners not far from Wales, in northeastern France. Zola could find no nobility in their suffering; he depicted them over and over as bestial animals. This movie gives their suffering a nobility that no amount of sentimental music can lessen.
Men and women such as these are not perfect. Who among us is? But their suffering deserves respectful treatment. Zola did not believe that; John Ford, the director of this movie, did. The difference is telling, and it is what makes this such a moving movie.
Postscript written after having read the novel:
I read the novel after writing the above review and then watched the movie again. Frankly, I don't recommend that to anyone. The novel is long, 500 pages, and the movie, of necessity, condenses some of it and simply omits other parts. After you have read the novel, you see just how hastily some things are condensed and what is left out or, in some few instances, changed. I would not say it is a particularly good condensation.
The most striking change is the end. In the movie there is another mine cave-in and a party of miners, led by the preacher, finds the elder Morgan, who dies in the still very young Huw's arms. It is, of course, moving, but since the movie closes on the images from his past that Huw subsequently recollects we are left, at the end, not with the dying father but with Maureen O'Hara smiling and waiving at a smiling Walter Pidgeon. A romantic end.
The novel's end is far more somber. During a particularly bitter strike Huw's father goes down in the mines to see if they are starting to flood. Cyfartha is also down there working. Both men get caught in a cave-in. Dai Bando, almost blind, goes down with Huw to find them. (The preacher has by then left for South America and is no longer in the picture, so to speak.) After much digging they first find Cyfartha, whom Dai Bando, weeping, carries to the surface. (We are left to wonder if the very deep bond between these two men had been more than just a deep friendship, but the text never says more.) Then Huw finds his father, and holds him until he, too, dies. It is a very painful scene.
Other than that, the chronology is sometimes changed from the novel to the movie, prompted in part, perhaps, by the fact that since Huw is always played by the young Roddy McDowall, he never grows into the very adult man that Huw becomes in the novel. The two brothers who leave for America do so much earlier in the movie than in the novel, for example.
Huw's one sexual encounter, with Ceinwein up on the mountain, never takes place in the movie, perhaps because Roddy McDowall doesn't look old enough for sex, perhaps just for the morals code of the time. In the same sense, Huw's subsequent unrealized desires for Bron are never introduced.
The preacher never leaves for South America, probably because he is played by the lead actor. It is also hard to understand why the town condemns him and Angharad, as in the movie he does not visit her every evening at her home. More morals code, no doubt.
The disputes between the minors and the owners are played down in the movie, perhaps because, during the war, unions were expected not to strike "for the war effort."
Llewellyn's efforts to convey the Welsh his characters are speaking by using a similar syntax in English are almost completely erased in the movie. Indeed, the very fact that these characters are usually speaking Welsh and not English is largely ignored. It's a very important part of the novel and the world that Llewellyn described, which saw itself very much put upon by outsiders=Englishmen, so it is a shame all that is lost. Some of the Celtic folklore is also lost. Beth's claim that Ivor came to speak to her, very much a part of the Celtic belief in visitations from spirits of the dead (présignes, in French) is completely changed in the movie.
A movie should be not judged on how well it adapts the material from which it derives, unless it is some sort of documentary. Taken as is, this is a good movie. But once you have read the novel, you see that its story is more somber, and it is hard not to regret that some of that was lost in the conversion.
Unforgettable Film
harry-764 April 2004
This moving film has become part of the all-time American classics, and rightly so. It is a beautifully conceived and executed adaptation of a beloved novel.
One of John Ford's finest hours, it is magnificently staged and shot, with a lovely score (by Alfred Newman) and rich performances, headed by Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara and Roddy McDowall.
That it was made on a fairly limited budget and filmed entirely on the 20th Century back lot is little short of amazing. Its truly great, sprawling set seems to be the real thing: a actual coal mining town.
Ford's attention to careful group blocking and staging of tableau adds to the artistry of the work. Its political subtext corresponds with America's stance regarding European policy at the time. Other issues such as women's rights and religious bigotry help to likewise bolster the tale.
I agree that "How Green Was My Valley" is a fine achievement, now gloriously restored to dvd for many future viewers to enjoy.
One of John Ford's finest hours, it is magnificently staged and shot, with a lovely score (by Alfred Newman) and rich performances, headed by Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara and Roddy McDowall.
That it was made on a fairly limited budget and filmed entirely on the 20th Century back lot is little short of amazing. Its truly great, sprawling set seems to be the real thing: a actual coal mining town.
Ford's attention to careful group blocking and staging of tableau adds to the artistry of the work. Its political subtext corresponds with America's stance regarding European policy at the time. Other issues such as women's rights and religious bigotry help to likewise bolster the tale.
I agree that "How Green Was My Valley" is a fine achievement, now gloriously restored to dvd for many future viewers to enjoy.
many good qualities but disappointing
lewis-5115 February 2009
This is one of those movies I've heard of at various times in my life and assumed I would see eventually. Finally did last night, on PBS television.
It was made in the 1940s, my favorite decade for movie-making. It seems that movies then were more serious. They didn't get distracted with special effects, gadgets, trying to show how cool they are, or trying to further some political agenda. They could concentrate on story, character, human relationships, the drama of ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Three of my top ten all-time favorites are from the 1940s. So I was predisposed to like this one.
I was disappointed. As others have posted, the movie has many good parts: underlying well written novel, good acting, great photography, memorable events, memorable characters. It provides a wonderful glimpse into a culture now gone. Yet even around the halfway point I was getting disappointed. Why?
I think the basic problem is that the novel it's based on is just too long to be made into a two-hour movie. Too many characters aren't developed well. Too many scenes had to be cut. Some examples:
I hope I don't seem to be nitpicking. As I said above, this movie provides a loving look at a time and place now gone, and does it well. It is good. But it should have been two movies.
It was made in the 1940s, my favorite decade for movie-making. It seems that movies then were more serious. They didn't get distracted with special effects, gadgets, trying to show how cool they are, or trying to further some political agenda. They could concentrate on story, character, human relationships, the drama of ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Three of my top ten all-time favorites are from the 1940s. So I was predisposed to like this one.
I was disappointed. As others have posted, the movie has many good parts: underlying well written novel, good acting, great photography, memorable events, memorable characters. It provides a wonderful glimpse into a culture now gone. Yet even around the halfway point I was getting disappointed. Why?
I think the basic problem is that the novel it's based on is just too long to be made into a two-hour movie. Too many characters aren't developed well. Too many scenes had to be cut. Some examples:
- I'm sorry, but I really couldn't keep all the brothers straight. I was glad when some went off to America. When one died (fairly early on), I wished I could have easily rewound the film to remind myself what he looked like. Ten minutes later when I saw another brother I could have sworn that was the one who died.
- The youngest boy, Huw, should have been made to age over the three year or so span of the movie. It really was distracting. Maybe they could have used a 14 year old actor who could be made-up to look 10 at the start. Maybe they could make him look shorter at first by having him stand on a lower floor than the other actors. He also seemed to behave like he was 10 the whole time.
- Huw seems to fall in love with the widow of his brother. This is only hinted at. It should be developed!
- How did the strike get resolved? What was the compromise?
- Why did the boxer who helps Huw become blind? It struck me as odd. Why bother including that part, since time is limited?
- The Maureen O'Hara character, Angharad, and her marriage didn't make sense. We get to see her husband in only two very brief scenes. He is a stereotype. When did they meet? Doesn't his father object? Show us more of his character and personality. Show us at least one scene of their married life.
- The Walter Pigeon character, the minister, is a very important part of the film. We see him teaching and helping Huw, which is great. But his decision relative to Angharad needs more development. And at the end, we are left to figure out for ourselves what will happen.
- The part about one of the older brothers who gets invited to sing before the Queen is wasted. I would drop two of the older brothers, including this one, from the film entirely. Use the time saved there to develop the relationship between Angharad and her husband.
I hope I don't seem to be nitpicking. As I said above, this movie provides a loving look at a time and place now gone, and does it well. It is good. But it should have been two movies.
Not Llewellyn, Not Wales, Definitely John Ford
phil-148413 April 2011
This film has received many positive reviews here at IMDb and I thought it was worthwhile adding a few comments on authenticity. This is a powerful story thanks to the writer Richard Llewellyn and it is beautifully filmed thanks to John Ford. However, this is not Wales.
None of the principle actors are Welsh and they make no attempt to speak with a Welsh accent. Instead we get a mixture of Irish, Scottish, American and unspecified "rural". The external scenes were filmed on a ranch in Malibu Canyon, California - not in a village in South Wales. The interior sets owe more to American "shaker" than Victorian domestic and could well be reused from Ford's cowboy movies. The little "Welsh" cottages look remarkably spacious when you get inside them. The mine owner's house is American colonial - better suited for Scarlett O'Hara than the Evans family and the women's costumes are pure Southern Gothic.
Does this lack of authenticity matter? Well - only to those people who notice and are aware of it. For me it is a constant distraction whereas to most Americans it probably wouldn't be. However, the maudlin music by Alfred Newman would get on anyone's nerves and is only relieved by some excellent Welsh choral singing. Individual scenes are stylishly framed, atmospherically lit and tightly directed but the non-authentic Yoda-like speech patterns just ruin the effect for me.
None of the principle actors are Welsh and they make no attempt to speak with a Welsh accent. Instead we get a mixture of Irish, Scottish, American and unspecified "rural". The external scenes were filmed on a ranch in Malibu Canyon, California - not in a village in South Wales. The interior sets owe more to American "shaker" than Victorian domestic and could well be reused from Ford's cowboy movies. The little "Welsh" cottages look remarkably spacious when you get inside them. The mine owner's house is American colonial - better suited for Scarlett O'Hara than the Evans family and the women's costumes are pure Southern Gothic.
Does this lack of authenticity matter? Well - only to those people who notice and are aware of it. For me it is a constant distraction whereas to most Americans it probably wouldn't be. However, the maudlin music by Alfred Newman would get on anyone's nerves and is only relieved by some excellent Welsh choral singing. Individual scenes are stylishly framed, atmospherically lit and tightly directed but the non-authentic Yoda-like speech patterns just ruin the effect for me.
Classic and enjoyable John Ford film with great cast giving terrific performance
ma-cortes8 January 2019
Vintage and memorable film and one of Ford and Maureen O'Hara's best. This tearjerker tale of a Welsh's valley's turn of the century family from a coal mining region . It is told in flashback by a voice-in-off carried out by Huw Morgan (Roddy McDowall) who has decided to leave the valley forever . As he remembers back to his growing up period, when the dust from the coal mines, his family , mirths and distresses . Huw (played by a 13-year-old Roddy McDowall) is the youngest in a family composed by parents (Donald Crisp , Sara Allgood) and 6 brothers (John Loder, Patrick Knowles, among others) and one sister (Maureen O'Hara) who falls in love with the new preacher, Mr. Gruffydd (Walter Pidgeon) , who had a slightly different view of his relationship with her, and which would end up destroying his life in the valley. Rich is their humor! Deep are their passions! Reckless are their lives! Mighty is their story! Millions Have Read This Great Novel... Millions more will see an even greater picture!
Stunning and sensitive tale about tribulations and trial of a Welsh mining family from the youthful perspective of the youngest child , marvelously played bt the agreeable prodigy child Roddy MacDowall who had subsequently a long career as a great secondary actor . This dramatic film contains interesting characters , full of good feeling and tragic moments . This classic , sturdy picture ranks as one of the most sentimental of John Ford's work . It contains Ford's usual themes as familiar feeling , religion , friendship , sacrifice , sense of comradeship among people and ample shots on the mining village .It is a hight-spirited tale , being one of Ford's finest movies with a marvelous fresh-air feeling . Thought-provoking , enjoyable screenplay portraying in depth characters and brooding events with interesting issues running beneath script surface .In the forties , Ford won-back-to-back Best Director Oscars for two more classics he made at Fox, the screen adaptations of future Nobel laureate John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning classic Grapes of the wrath (1940) in 1941, and of Richard Llewellyn's memoir of his youth in the coal-mining region of Wales, this How Green was my valley (1941) . Adequate production design that achieved a deserved Oscar , buit by Richard Day and Nathan Juran , 160 builders took six months to construct Richard Day's elaborate set design. The studio brought in blocks of coal weighing over a ton apiece for the construction of the mines. To create the impression that coal slag covered the landscape in the opening and closing scenes, John Ford had the hillside painted black. This magnificent film featuring a magnificent performance by the whole casting , including a top-notch support cast such as Anna Lee , John Loder , Sara Allgood ,Barry FitzGerald , Rhys Williams ,Frederick Worlock , Ann Todd , Richard Fraser and Arthur Shields .There is another rendition about this classic story made in 1975 by Ronald Wilson (6 episodes, 1975-1976) with Stanley Baker , Siân Phillips , Mike Gwilym , Gareth Thomas .
Beautifully cinematographed by Arthur Miller in black and while , plenty of lights and shades . Evocative and sensitive musical score by Alfred Newman . The picture was magnificently directed by John Ford . John Ford often referred to this film as his favorite. In the 1940s, Ford won-back-to-back Best Director Oscars for two more classics he made at Fox, the screen adaptations of future Nobel laureate John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning classic The grapes of the wrath (1940) in 1941, and of Richard Llewellyn's memoir of his youth in the coal-mining region of Wales, ¡Qué verde era mi valle! (1941) . the mid-1940s, after working in many genres, Ford began to focus on Westerns again, beginning with My Darling Clementine (1946), one of the classics of the genre. Many of his Westerns featured John Wayne, whom he had first worked with on Stagecoach (1939) and who became a superstar in Howard Hawks' classic oater Río Rojo (1948). Wayne appeared in Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), and Río Grande (1950), the famous "Cavalry Trilogy." Along with "My Darling Clementine," Ford was plumbing the nature of American myth-making, and the creation of history as an historical narrative, that is, the re-creation of history John Ford created so many classic Westerns that he began to be associated with the genre. It's interesting to note that from 1950 through 1959, he made only one Western, the classic The searchers (1956), one of the greatest examples of the genre. Starting with Horse soldiers (1959) which he made for the Mirisch Co. at the end of the decade, six of his last eight completed movies were Westerns, including his last masterpiece, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." rating : Above average , 8 .
Stunning and sensitive tale about tribulations and trial of a Welsh mining family from the youthful perspective of the youngest child , marvelously played bt the agreeable prodigy child Roddy MacDowall who had subsequently a long career as a great secondary actor . This dramatic film contains interesting characters , full of good feeling and tragic moments . This classic , sturdy picture ranks as one of the most sentimental of John Ford's work . It contains Ford's usual themes as familiar feeling , religion , friendship , sacrifice , sense of comradeship among people and ample shots on the mining village .It is a hight-spirited tale , being one of Ford's finest movies with a marvelous fresh-air feeling . Thought-provoking , enjoyable screenplay portraying in depth characters and brooding events with interesting issues running beneath script surface .In the forties , Ford won-back-to-back Best Director Oscars for two more classics he made at Fox, the screen adaptations of future Nobel laureate John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning classic Grapes of the wrath (1940) in 1941, and of Richard Llewellyn's memoir of his youth in the coal-mining region of Wales, this How Green was my valley (1941) . Adequate production design that achieved a deserved Oscar , buit by Richard Day and Nathan Juran , 160 builders took six months to construct Richard Day's elaborate set design. The studio brought in blocks of coal weighing over a ton apiece for the construction of the mines. To create the impression that coal slag covered the landscape in the opening and closing scenes, John Ford had the hillside painted black. This magnificent film featuring a magnificent performance by the whole casting , including a top-notch support cast such as Anna Lee , John Loder , Sara Allgood ,Barry FitzGerald , Rhys Williams ,Frederick Worlock , Ann Todd , Richard Fraser and Arthur Shields .There is another rendition about this classic story made in 1975 by Ronald Wilson (6 episodes, 1975-1976) with Stanley Baker , Siân Phillips , Mike Gwilym , Gareth Thomas .
Beautifully cinematographed by Arthur Miller in black and while , plenty of lights and shades . Evocative and sensitive musical score by Alfred Newman . The picture was magnificently directed by John Ford . John Ford often referred to this film as his favorite. In the 1940s, Ford won-back-to-back Best Director Oscars for two more classics he made at Fox, the screen adaptations of future Nobel laureate John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning classic The grapes of the wrath (1940) in 1941, and of Richard Llewellyn's memoir of his youth in the coal-mining region of Wales, ¡Qué verde era mi valle! (1941) . the mid-1940s, after working in many genres, Ford began to focus on Westerns again, beginning with My Darling Clementine (1946), one of the classics of the genre. Many of his Westerns featured John Wayne, whom he had first worked with on Stagecoach (1939) and who became a superstar in Howard Hawks' classic oater Río Rojo (1948). Wayne appeared in Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), and Río Grande (1950), the famous "Cavalry Trilogy." Along with "My Darling Clementine," Ford was plumbing the nature of American myth-making, and the creation of history as an historical narrative, that is, the re-creation of history John Ford created so many classic Westerns that he began to be associated with the genre. It's interesting to note that from 1950 through 1959, he made only one Western, the classic The searchers (1956), one of the greatest examples of the genre. Starting with Horse soldiers (1959) which he made for the Mirisch Co. at the end of the decade, six of his last eight completed movies were Westerns, including his last masterpiece, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." rating : Above average , 8 .
Every time I hear the lines
vitaminmika22 March 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Every time I hear the lines "Men like my father cannot die.They are with me still, real in memory as they were in flesh." near last scene,I cannot help from my tears flood out. Huw's two teachers of his life,Mr.Gruffydd and his father are both very attractive.Despite his position ,I move Mr.Gruffydd's indirect expression of his passion for Angharad.I also like the scene when Mr. Gwilym Morgan says "Call Dai Bando!" and following the scene Dai Bando teaches Huw how to fight. The scene Sara Allgood's speech protecting her husband reminds me (not actually saw)John Ford's famous speech in the middle of the McCarthy era Communist witch-hunt "My name is John Ford.I direct films...."
Regal and Beautiful
matthewssilverhammer10 November 2019
This film's legacy has been funneled down to "The Film That Shouldn't Have Beat Citizen Kane at the Oscars." This is a massive shame...yes, it skirts the technical experimentation and rampant cynicism of Kane, but it's sappy sentimentalism and moments of sweet humor are what make its more bitter critique of impersonal progress even more affecting. Ford was truly a master; he creates such a sense of place and community in this small mining town, and your heart breaks for their loss of innocence.
Yes, You Can Almost Feel The Grime
ccthemovieman-127 March 2008
This movie is a little long at times, but this is still a powerful story about the many stories that came out of the coal mining families in Wales, Great Britain. One of the top aspects of the movie is the cinematography, under the direction of John Ford. It is very effective. You can just feel the grime and dirt of the mines and cobblestone town. It looks really good now that's it out on DVD.
Walter Pigeon is the likable minister, and lead character, "Mr. Gruffydd." He's likable because he doesn't judge people as the head deacon does. The latter is portrayed ludicrously by Barry Fitzgerald, much to the delight of secular-minded film critics, who loved his performance. Nonetheless, there is a lot of "religion" pictured positively in this film, a lot of spiritual scenes and most were done well.
Roddy McDowell plays the most memorable character, I thought: "Huw," a young boy who went through some really tough times, as did most of the townsfolk.
If you are used to modern films, be warned this film does drag in spots. It is a fine movie, to be sure, and a powerful and emotional story.
Walter Pigeon is the likable minister, and lead character, "Mr. Gruffydd." He's likable because he doesn't judge people as the head deacon does. The latter is portrayed ludicrously by Barry Fitzgerald, much to the delight of secular-minded film critics, who loved his performance. Nonetheless, there is a lot of "religion" pictured positively in this film, a lot of spiritual scenes and most were done well.
Roddy McDowell plays the most memorable character, I thought: "Huw," a young boy who went through some really tough times, as did most of the townsfolk.
If you are used to modern films, be warned this film does drag in spots. It is a fine movie, to be sure, and a powerful and emotional story.
Earliest case of Oscar baiting I've seen. Not bad though.
Sergeant_Tibbs17 September 2013
How Green Was My Valley. The film infamous for beating Citizen Kane at the Oscars. Not only that but The Maltese Falcon and Sergeant York too. Although it's known that it this was due to a public affairs issue at the time, How Green Was My Valley is one of the earliest cases of Oscar baiting I've ever seen. Perhaps this was the film that shaped the mould? It has everything the Oscars dream of and in the most sentimental doses too. As all Oscar baited films, it feels like it skims the surface of its story and its sequences feel more like a checklist rather than organic storytelling. Singing, disability, kindness, hardships. Even today, it feels forced, especially the character archetypes. That said, the performances are pretty good given the contrived platform to work with. The overall drama about the strikes and the family conflict is quite interesting and engaging, but the depth of the film is rather laughable. Its triumphs and tragedies are just too romanticised to be convincing, especially the depiction of Wales which is just far from the truth. That said, the cinematography is really great and definitely the best part. Its story can be trite, but it's very watchable and entertaining. But that's all its trying to be anyway. That and a good cry from sensitive hearts.
6/10
6/10
A Superb Classic Film
jkucharik27 August 2007
I rented this movie yesterday on DVD. Although I had seen it many years ago, I have a new-found "favorite film". The story is excellent and believable and what really holds the piece together is the non-stop beautiful music backing up many to most of the scenes. It is a haunting melody that continues to repeat itself in my head today...and if any of you readers watch this film I forewarn you to have a box of tissues handy as the end of the picture nears. The final scene of Beth Morgan's close-up shot and brief dialogue - along with the often-repeated compelling melody throughout the film will absolutely tear your heart out. A guaranteed "good cry" if any of you need one! This classic is a "must see" for any emotional sappy suckers who love old movies as much as I do. If you're a guy - like me - be sure to watch this movie ALONE - to avoid your otherwise sure-to-be tear-stained embarrassment!
Beautifully crafted saga set in a Disneyland version of a Welsh valley.
BOUF31 May 2010
Not for a moment did I believe in the Disneyland Welsh mining village as presented in this sweet old family saga. But the pictures are beautifully manipulated by one of Hollywood's most expert storytellers. John Ford always seems to place the camera and his characters in ways, which say far more than any dialogue could. In fact, this is the kind of film which may well work better with the sound muted, because the dialogue is old-fashioned and the characters' accents peculiar. (The most prevalent accents were Irish, and a kind of mid- Atlantic rural) I was particularly impressed by Maureen O'Hara's performance in the first half of the film. I don't think I've ever seen her better, or better photographed. If you're looking for a stirring, authentic story of miners' struggles in the days before the unions, this isn't it; but if you want to see some masterly direction photography, montage, and mise en scene, this is well worth the trouble.
A tear-jerker, yes, but surely the greatest one ever made.
jamil-510 May 2000
How could anyone watch this film and not sympathize with the Morgan family and the troubles it faces? Yes, it's only a movie and although its power is diluted a bit by the inevitable Hollywoodization of Llewelyn's novel, it boasts terrific performances by several actors who rose to the occasion, has a gorgeous score, and is full of imaginative touches and haunting images (so many of the scenes are burned into my memory) by a director at the top of his form. And there's just enough humor to bridge the tragedies that are inflicted on these people. I still delight in the scene where Rhys Williams (the only player who was actually Welsh) and Barry Fitzgerald give a boxing lesson to a sadistic schoolteacher (the only time John Ford flirts with cuteness), but the movie is full of great moments. I'm a cynical, jaded movie-viewer but, even if it sometimes verges on the operatic, I doubt that I would even want to meet someone who could dislike How Green Was My Valley.
The End of an Era
tedg15 February 2002
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers herein.
This film is chintz, but should be seen for its historical value. It is perhaps the last great bit of artificial melodrama that audiences could take at face value.
The world would soon change forever. Orson Welles changed the way depth is photographed, and that is a very, very big deal. Here, we have deep focal diagonals and energetic smoke, but no shocking god's eye.
Fast upon that, many filmmakers were to soon change our notions of verism. Here we have overt staginess, teapot acting, song from outside the narrative, ultracleanliness.
The war was soon to transform America, and American films forever, introducing varieties and degrees of irony unfathomable to the audience that first saw this. What we have here are now embarrassing religious and political stances.
This is to film what Bulwer-Lytton is to novels. Don't laugh unless you have read a B-L novel. (Try `Alice.') Melodrama is defined by the shifts in societal consciousness. What's discarded is melodrama. This is a husk of what it once was, gutted not by the lack of craft in it, but by the accident of the random devolution in group narrative.
I think John Ford knew his quaint world was soon to end, and that is why he made a film about a quaint world that was soon to end. It was well known to Ford that friend Welles was watching "Stagecoach" scores of times during the filming of "Kane," and jazzing every effect, every view, every trick. He was dead and knew it.
This film is chintz, but should be seen for its historical value. It is perhaps the last great bit of artificial melodrama that audiences could take at face value.
The world would soon change forever. Orson Welles changed the way depth is photographed, and that is a very, very big deal. Here, we have deep focal diagonals and energetic smoke, but no shocking god's eye.
Fast upon that, many filmmakers were to soon change our notions of verism. Here we have overt staginess, teapot acting, song from outside the narrative, ultracleanliness.
The war was soon to transform America, and American films forever, introducing varieties and degrees of irony unfathomable to the audience that first saw this. What we have here are now embarrassing religious and political stances.
This is to film what Bulwer-Lytton is to novels. Don't laugh unless you have read a B-L novel. (Try `Alice.') Melodrama is defined by the shifts in societal consciousness. What's discarded is melodrama. This is a husk of what it once was, gutted not by the lack of craft in it, but by the accident of the random devolution in group narrative.
I think John Ford knew his quaint world was soon to end, and that is why he made a film about a quaint world that was soon to end. It was well known to Ford that friend Welles was watching "Stagecoach" scores of times during the filming of "Kane," and jazzing every effect, every view, every trick. He was dead and knew it.
"Men like my father cannot die."
elvircorhodzic8 June 2016
I think that the director Ford approached too biased themes in this movie. HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY shows the fifty range of reputable and hardworking Welsh family, which deals with mining of coal. The main theme of the socio-economic transience and decay of the family. The main protagonist of the memories tells us about his family, mine, which means life, culture and traditions of his valley. The atmosphere is uniform and gloomy. Every little joy threatens a tragedy. The story is raw. The cinematography is top notch. A small mining town looks impressive. Almost the entire film in retrospect, through the eyes of the main protagonists of the little boy, who in his sad childhood finds unquestionable virtues related to family, work ethic and love among people. Extremely impressive black-and-white photo of the scene of heavy mining life throws lyrical, impressionistic tone, references to Christian suffering mainly expressed through suggestive faces of the protagonists, and very artfully staged mass scenes departures miners to work and arrivals from work. The acting is pretty good. The team led by deeply sensitive and shy boy Huw Morgan (Roddy McDowall). Authoritative and capable father Gwilym Morgan (Donald Crisp). Simple, fair and amorous priest Mr. Gruffydd (Walter Pidgeon). The mother Beth Morgan (Sara Algood), as a reason and pillar of the family. Unlucky in love with the beautiful daughter Angharad Morgan (Maureen O'Hara). Loyal Bronwyn (Anna Lee) daughter in law.
I managed to scratch the surface and meet the virtuous and industrious miners who together with his city, culture and traditions disappear in time
I managed to scratch the surface and meet the virtuous and industrious miners who together with his city, culture and traditions disappear in time
Sentimental claptrap for American audiences.
pompeymeowth3 February 2017
My Father was born in 1931 and grew up in South Wales, he said that virtually everything about this film is complete fantasy. They lived in the worst possible conditions imaginable in those days, he didn't have proper shoes, only wooden clogs, till he was old enough to wear an old pair of his fathers boots.
The worst parts has to be the ridiculous singing and Irish accents of some of the actors. A small but interesting pointer to how the film cares little for reality or any sort of British audience, on the notice at the coal mine it says how the wages for all labor will be cut. Labour is not spelt labor in any part of the Uk then or now.
A really good film could be made about this story but only by the British or indeed, maybe only by the Welsh.
The worst parts has to be the ridiculous singing and Irish accents of some of the actors. A small but interesting pointer to how the film cares little for reality or any sort of British audience, on the notice at the coal mine it says how the wages for all labor will be cut. Labour is not spelt labor in any part of the Uk then or now.
A really good film could be made about this story but only by the British or indeed, maybe only by the Welsh.
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