In 1996, "The Quiet Man" topped an "Irish Times" poll for the best Irish film of all time. Almost ten years later, in 2005, with many more Irish (and Irish-themed) films made, "The Quiet Man" still occupied number four in a poll of 10,000 people across Ireland. John Ford's greatest commercial success, the film also set a template for Ireland's representation, and promotion, for over half a century. This book, "The Quiet Man...and Beyond", involves both critical analysis of aspects of "The Quiet Man" as myth, commodity and fetish and the celebration of a film that has sustained considerable academic attention and popular appreciation since its release in 1952. Among the topics considered are the complexity of the film's relation to Ireland, Irish literature and to John Ford's other films; its perceived place with regard to indigenous Irish cinema; and the phenomenon of its circulation and reception as a cult film over the years.
Contributors to the book include leading international academics such as Professor Luke Gibbons (co-author of "Cinema and Ireland", and author of a study of the film, "The Quiet Man"), Professor John Hill (author of "Cinema and Northern Ireland: Film, Culture and Politics") and Dr. Ruth Barton (author of "Irish National Cinema").