This book will capture the interest of readers searching for quality in cinema and those enthusiastic followers of John Ford.

The author begins by emphasizing the importance of cinematography as the great art of the Twentieth Century and as a transmitting element of culture for the last four generations.

He admits to being seduced since childhood by the films of John Ford and identifies with the individualism he discovers in the characters that are part of the iconography of this director.  From the beginning he feels solidarity with the ethical foundation of Ford’s cinema and the conviction and tolerance exhibited by the heroes of his films.  Through the profound analysis that Tasende makes of the twenty two films he selected for his exploration, the writer explains the process that led him to this connection.

J.M. Tasende is both spectator and writer at the same time.  Balancing the artistic value of each movie with the significance of the subject matter, he also examines the transcendence it might have in realms beyond film.  With “The Last Hurrah” he proposes a comparative essay on the two inhabitants that colonized the American continent.  He discovers assorted analogies between the films “Citizen Kane” and “The Informer,” as well as “Hombre” and “Stagecoach.”  War and violence in general are examined with critical passion and objectivity in “They Were Expendable,” “The Horse Soldiers” and “Cheyenne Autumn,” as well as in other areas where aggressiveness is evident.

The cult of the masses and the sanctification of doctrines are the enemy to be defeated in this debate where the author believes to have found a compassionate ally in the American director.  Stimulated by his discovery, Tasende speculates throughout the book on the many topics suggested by the films of Ford; something that the author of ACTION! describes as “a passionate mental adventure through the imagination of a genius.”