A film you feel you've known all your life

“Maybe when we leave this country, young kids like you will be able to grow up and live safe”

A line once written to remind the audiences of 1946 how sleazy and violent the days of the wild west were to men and women of any age and how far America had come since then in its carving out a clean-cut and just society. The days of the wild west, in the year 2024, have we unfortunately travelled back too where one can’t even step outside to a public place anymore without the threat and anxiety hanging over their shoulders of the rejuvenated sleaziness and violence jeopardizing their safety. When it comes to John Ford, you know before you even start the film that you’re about to digest some of the most well-crafted, perfect framing and moviemaking possible, and My Darling Clementine is just that; flawless in every way possible. One of the all-time great nostalgic westerns ever. Even though I only saw it for the first time a few years ago, its one of those timeless films you feel like you’ve known all your life. Maybe its the iconic title song, the Irish vaudeville you’ll see in pretty much every Ford film, whatever it is exactly holds such a power to the beating heart of My Darling Clementine. So much sadness and grief that runs through the entirety of the film that I missed on my first viewing. Henry Fonda is as noble and inspiring as you’re most of the time going to see him. Just perfect; genuinely left me in awe this time around how unbelievably well-crafted this film is.