Pilgrimage

Directed by John Ford, Pilgrimage follows an ill-tempered older woman (Henrietta Crosman’s Hannah Jessop) as she attempts to cope with her decision to send her only son (Norman Foster’s Jimmy) off to fight in World War I. Filmmaker Ford delivers an unabashedly melodramatic endeavor that fares especially well within its larger-than-life yet compelling opening stretch, and there’s little doubt, certainly, that the picture benefits substantially from its strong performances and periodic instances of eye-catching visual flair – with the latter reflected most keenly in a striking close-up of Jimmy’s girlfriend (Heather Angel’s Suzanne) watching as the train taking him to war pulls out of the station. It’s rather disappointing to note, then, that Pilgrimage‘s momentum takes a fairly palpable hit as it progresses into a decidedly underwhelming midsection, as the emphasis is placed on Hannah’s episodic (and far-from-enthralling) exploits during a trip to France – which paves the way for a series of sequences, including Hannah’s exploits within a hay festival and her trip to a hair dresser, that generally test one’s ongoing interest and attention. The movie ultimately recovers, however, for a moving and poignant finale that ensures it concludes on a positive note, which does, in the end, cement Pilgrimage‘s place as a hit-and-miss drama that probably should’ve topped out at 80 minutes.

**1/2 out of ****