DIRECTED BY JOHN FORD

Bogdanovich hat nicht nur Ford selbst, sondern auch viele seiner Schauspieler interviewt, er hat die Gesprächspassagen mit Sequenzen aus Fords Filmen montiert, und so entstand ein komplexes Porträt des 1894 geborenen großen Cinéasten und Filmpioniers, der 1973 starb. Zwischen 1917 und 1971 hat Ford weit über 100 Filme selbst inszeniert, daneben als Produzent, Schauspieler und Drehbuchautor gearbeitet und sogar, bei "The Battle of Midway", einem Dokumentarfilm aus dem Zweiten Weltkrieg, als Kameramann. I knew he was dying and that if I didnt drive down to see him before leaving for Rome to make the new picture there was a good chance he would be gone before we returned. It was the middle of June, 1973. About six months earlier the Fords had sold their house in Bel Air and moved to one in Palm Desert. I dont believe it was really something they were anxious to do, but economic considerations prevailed. After all, Jack hadnt made a picture since 1965 though for at least six of those years he had been most capable of one and conditions werent getting any better. I had phoned him a few times since the move and spoke with him briefly the night the American Film Institute gave the director their first Life Achievement Award and President Nixon presented him with the Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian honor our country can bestow.
Highlights of that evening were subsequently seen on a television special which managed only to emphasize the least attractive and most commercial aspects of the affair. But thats another story the vulgarity of the actual evening itself was far outweighed, if you were there, by the sheer fascination of it. There was hardly a face in the crowd you couldnt recognize more stars and directors and producers came out than I have ever seen at the Oscars though a few of the more politically minded protested the Nixon presence by not coming. Jane Fonda, I believe, even picketed. But then, that was her main occupation those days, as well as her privilege, though one might wish she would stop mixing politics with art quite so ferociously. ... (Peter Bogdanovich )