http://commentarytrack.com/2007/12/21/overlooked-silent-films-the-iron-horse-1924-and-the-lodger-1927/ movie reviews, news and discussion Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:26:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://commentarytrack.com/2007/12/21/overlooked-silent-films-the-iron-horse-1924-and-the-lodger-1927/#comment-333 Hunter Hale Thu, 07 May 2009 04:32:11 +0000 http://commentarytrack.com/2007/12/21/overlooked-silent-films-the-iron-horse-1924-and-the-lodger-1927/#comment-333 While I'll agree that THE IRON HORSE and FOUR SONS are excellent early examples of John Ford's later work, I would not include 3 BAD MEN in that list. It is a film that I wanted to like but it shows Ford at his worst. The character actors (the three bad men with hearts of gold) should have been right up Ford's alley, but time and time again Ford resorts to his low comedy and greatly reduces the effect of the relationship these "bad" guys have when they find themselves helping out a young women in need. His work in this film reminds me of the terrible "Dodge City" scene that he put in the middle of CHEYENNE AUTUMN. The climax of 3 BAD MEN fails because Ford attempts to make the viewer feel for the sacrifice that each of the bad guys are making so that the girl and George O'Brien can make their escape. Each man holds off the pursuing horsemen and in so doing gives up his life. The way Ford stages these scenes is very weak. In every case the characters die without really using their heads to hold off the on comers. It falls flat. Ford would revisit this subject to much better effect with 3 GODFATHERS. While I’ll agree that THE IRON HORSE and FOUR SONS are excellent early examples of John Ford’s later work, I would not include 3 BAD MEN in that list. It is a film that I wanted to like but it shows Ford at his worst. The character actors (the three bad men with hearts of gold) should have been right up Ford’s alley, but time and time again Ford resorts to his low comedy and greatly reduces the effect of the relationship these “bad” guys have when they find themselves helping out a young women in need. His work in this film reminds me of the terrible “Dodge City” scene that he put in the middle of CHEYENNE AUTUMN. The climax of 3 BAD MEN fails because Ford attempts to make the viewer feel for the sacrifice that each of the bad guys are making so that the girl and George O’Brien can make their escape. Each man holds off the pursuing horsemen and in so doing gives up his life. The way Ford stages these scenes is very weak. In every case the characters die without really using their heads to hold off the on comers. It falls flat. Ford would revisit this subject to much better effect with 3 GODFATHERS.

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