However, “How Green was My Valley” completely took me by
surprise. It was still a sentimental story with several overly acted moments.
But it owned every tender ounce of its sentimentalism, always remaining wholly
committed to being genuine and sincere. Despite my walled up determination
toward disliking this film, it managed to deliver a knock-out punch, leaving me
to reflect on it days after watching it. And just for the record, yes, it did make
me tear up a little bit at the end, but so what. I challenge anyone to watch
this film without feeling a lump climb up their throat. If that doesn’t happen,
you may just be the world’s only living heart donor.
Directed by the formidable John Ford, “How Green was My
Valley” was nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 1941, taking home five prizes,
including Best Picture. The film stars Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O’Hara and,
making his first significant screen appearance, “Master” Roddy McDowall, so he
was billed. Apparently, McDowall was one of thousands of children evacuated to
America during WWII. Shortly after his arrival to The New World, he screen tested for the part of young Huw Morgan, and the rest is, as they
say, history.
The film begins with an older Huw Morgan making preparations
to leave behind his valley, which has been blackened by pollution and slag from
the surrounding coal mines. As he begins gathering his few belongings, Huw
recounts the memories of his youth in the small Welsh coal-mining village where
he lived with his family. The Morgans endure a hard life, but they, along with
the rest of their community, live with a sense of pride and dignity. They are humble
and plain, with a reverence for God ever dwelling in their hearts.
The Morgan family. |
Given their dependence on the coal mine, the Morgan’s way of
life hangs in a delicate balance. The first sign of trouble looms when the
worker’s wages take a cut. This singular action touches off a chain of events,
besetting poverty, injustice and death upon the Morgan’s front step. These
greater forces eventually cleave the Morgan family into parts, remaining
committed to one another only through their memories and familial bonds forged of
God.
There are a lot of standout elements in this film from the
music and cinematography, particularly Roddy McDowall, to the performances and
directing. But for me, what made this film so prevailing is that the narrative
taps into a universal longing for those pleasant childhood memories created
when one is young; unspoiled from the knowledge rooted in the unsettling
certainties of life. The memories created in that time are revisited again and again
because they are pure, idyllic and hopeful, preserved from corruption brought
on by later disappointments and trials. In a way, this film is about the older
Huw Morgan seeking to reclaim the memories of his youth to when life seemed
green and vibrant, untouched from the slag of harsh realities.
Master Roddy McDowall as young Huw Morgan. |
“How Green was My Valley” became the highest grossing film the year it was released. However, in retrospect it became a miracle the film ever ended up going into production at all. Its producer, Darryl F. Zanuck, originally conceived of the project as a colorful, four-hour epic on footing with “Gone with the Wind.” The producer’s wanted to shoot on location, but their plan was thwarted when Hitler declared South Wales to be a target of his forces. An additional dent was put into Zanuck’s vision by the suits at Fox who made the decision to reject the picture because of its pro-labor theme, lack of star power and large budget.
Zanuck eventually swapped Malibu for South Wales, which
meant shooting in black and white in order to give the brown and sage colored
hills of California appear lush and green. Not using color proved a blessing in
disguise as it captured the grit and grim of life in the coal mines, that color
might have overlooked in its vibrancy. The original director, William Wyler,
was also swapped out for John Ford, who is credited with infusing the film with
an abundance of heart, despite his prickly professional nature. In a
documentary recalling the making of “How Green was My Valley,” Maureen O’Hara
affectionately recalled working with Ford, saying, “We used to call him the
meanest old S.O.B. there ever was. But he was our S.O.B., and we adored him.”
“How Green was My Valley” is often criticized for taking
home the top trophy on Oscar night over the more celebrated “Citizen Kane.”
While there is no denying that “Citizen Kane” is a classic, I believe its
triumph’s lay more in its technical achievements that were and continue to be
ground-breaking and influential. However, these accomplishments appeal to the
mind, whereas “How Green was My Valley” stirs the heart, making it much more potent
to anyone willing to experience it.
Favorite Line: In
the film’s final scene, young Huw Morgan bravely searches the teetering debris
of the coal mines, following an accidental explosion. After finally finding his
father crushed beneath the ruins, young Huw is pulled from the dark pit of the
mines, holding his father’s crumpled body, as the voice over belonging to the
older Huw says, “Men like my father cannot die. They are with me still, real in
memory as they were in flesh, loving and beloved forever. How green was my
valley then?!”
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