About the Book
This radical re-reading of Ford's work studies his films in the context of his complex character, demonstrating their immense intelligence and their profound critique of our culture.
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— New York Times Book Review"An almost flawless blend of criticism and biography about one of America's greatest film directors."
— Boston Sunday Globe"'Here at last is a book that richly documents his life and catalogs with sound critical commentary all of Ford's films."
— Sight & Sound"In its out-sized efforts to do justice to the contradictions and complexities of the man and his work, it . . . offers a range of information and insight that dwarfs all competitors. . . . The sense of Ford's personality which emerges achieves at times a novelistic density. And the films are often seen to reverberate on multiple planes as well."
— Los Angeles Times"A monumental task of scholarship. . . . Gallagher effectively shatters the twin images of Ford the tough guy, tyrant at home and on the set, and of Ford the semi-literate poet. . . . The real Ford, like the real Shakespeare, was an intellectual, a hard-nosed professional and—yes—a poet too."
— Films in Review"A major labor of love, a tremendously useful book on the teaching level, and a solid and enjoyable read on a personal level."