I have a mental game I like to play: making movies in my head. Sometimes I like to play the game by starting with an older classic movie or story. Sometimes I combine the movie and the story. I did that recently with The Quiet Man, mixing the short story and the movie. Here is a quick summary of what I devised, but first, a bit of background.

Background

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara starred in the 1952 movie, which based very loosely on the short story by Maurice Walsh, an Irish novelist. The movie used to show up regularly on television decades ago, but only rarely does these days. Of course, you can stream it. But, fair warning, many people these days will find various scenes off-putting. For me, some of them are misogynistic and depict violence against women. I do not enjoy watching a man drag a woman across a field and through piles of sheep dung, for example. Had I been alive in 1952 I like to think I would not have liked it then, either.

You can credit the movie’s director John Ford with much of this kind of thing ending up in the picture. He was a powerhouse, but let’s just say he was a man of his time and let it go at that. None of the misogyny is in the original story. I heartily recommend reading the short story by Maurice Walsh which served as the inspiration for the film’s basic plot. In my mental remake I lean heavily on the story, but, of course, I had to mention the movie!

Mental Remake

In my remake, the Protagonist is an older man (maybe in his 50s), former professional boxer, military veteran. Born in the United States into a poor family, he used his fists and his wits to build up his career, his bank account, and his investments. At this point in his life he is not married and has no children. He recently inherited (from a distant cousin in Ireland) a smallholding in rural Ireland, and he travels to the country intending to evaluate the property and put it up for sale.

One of the first things that happens to him when he reaches the area and stops in a local tavern is he is recognized, and a local (who has had too much to drink) wants to pick a fight. The others in the tavern egg the protagonist on to fight, but he refuses. He says (to himself? to others?), “What’s worth fighting for? What’s worth fighting about?”

These questions are central to Walsh’s story and messages, as are the questions Walsh has Sean (the protagonist in his story) ask of his love interest (yes, he meets a local woman and marries her, not as quick a process, though, as shown in the movie). Here is my way to expressing the core of the conflict that arises between them over the subject of an unpaid dowry. As with many things in life, people fight about one thing but there is often a deeper, core issue. So, here is how I laid it out with his love interest, “Are you for me or against me? How can I show you I am for you? Will that make you happy, if I can show you that? Are you with me or not? Because I’m with you. I’m on your side, no matter what. And, I’m going to show you that.”

I have not decided yet how my protagonist shows his love interest all of that. Certainly, the way the movie portrays it has not aged well. Perhaps in my remake he takes her side to help beat the brother who is surreptitiously trying to sell the family’s land to a developer.

You see, in my remake, the protagonist grew up in such poverty and despair, fighting was first a means of defense and then an offense. He fought his way out of it all, literally and figuratively, but along the way he learned lessons about fighting. Here is my take on what he learns during the course of this experience: “The thing about fighting is it’s a skill, a capability, but it’s only one thing in a man’s arsenal. You’ve got to know, you just don’t fight with your hands, not even in the ring. You fight with your hands and your heart. If you fight with just your hands, you’re a loser before you ever step in the ring.”

In my remake, then he does not beat anyone up with his fists. Not that he is not tempted, but he has learned about how best to use his hands and his heart in a fight. He does go toe-to-toe with the Antagonists, but he does it with his brains and with the help of some of his American friends.

Ending It Here

I have more, much more, in my mental remake. But, this is already a longer post than I usually write, so I will end the post here. And, I am still pondering some issues. Sometimes I think the remake should be a movie, then again, there is so much to say it could be a short-run series.

If you have read this far, I thank you, and I am sure you will enjoy reading Walsh’s short stories including The Quiet Man. Look for the part of the story from which the title comes …