Perhaps the biggest thing I took away for The Quiet Girl is that you do not have to have a complex melodrama to present an emotionally charged story. The Quiet Girl accomplishes this as a soft, simple yet heartbreaking film. The film is beautiful and the acting is superb. Much of the story is conveyed through the looks, gestures and body language of its actors. An Cailín Ciúin melds beautiful, fluid cinematography in with a magnificent performance from 12 year old lead actor Catherine Clinch, in her first film. The production design and set design create perfect scenes.
Director / Writer Colm Bairéad and Cinematographer Kate McCullough chose to shoot the film in 1.37:1 format which provided the perfect intimacy for both the actors and the audience. I commented to a friend as we left the theater that had the movie been shot in widescreen it would not have worked. The tighter format kept the viewer right in the shot.
The first-ever film in the Irish language to be nominated for an Oscar (Best International Film) probably will lose out to All Quiet on the Western Front. But if by some blessing it should win, it would be well deserved. If this is the example of Irish filmmaking let’s get more of it.
It was such a powerful film with little action or language. The photography was amazing. I loved it and plan on seeing it again!