Well, this film certainly may not be too politically correct for these times, but that aside, is simply a very well acted Western version of "The Taming of the Shrew". The chemistry between John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara is electric. She plays her role so convincing that you're happy she gets her spanking from George McLintock in the end. It's all done in a very comical way, and Maureen O'Hara was an excellent comic actress. For this reason, this film remains popular. In some ways it is similar to another John Wayne film, "The Quiet Man" also starring with Maureen O'Hara. In that film, John also plays the patient guy trying hard not to become violent, but to no avail. Both films represent the rawness of the land they live in: the rough American West and the bucolic but tough Irish country where fist fighting is very much a man's art. Seen through cultural filters both films are very realistic and natural. Those who look at these films from a perspective foreign to these cultures are missing the point entirely.
Review of McLintock!
