--- title: "My Darling Clementine: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/my-darling-clementine/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/my-darling-clementine" critics_score: 80 critics_reviews: 12 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # My Darling Clementine (1946): what the critics said Critics' score 80 from 12 reviews: 7 positive, 5 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics respond warmly to My Darling Clementine, with praise centred on John Ford’s visual choices, understated humanity and attention to relationships between the plot’s larger events. The church social draws particular admiration for its courtship scenes and its sense of a frontier community taking shape. Henry Fonda’s performance is another recurring strength, while several reviews find that the film’s emotional force and treatment of Western myth outweigh its historical liberties. The clearest reservation comes from Variety, which finds Ford’s stylised direction occasionally self-indulgent but still considers the film engaging and praises Fonda’s sincerity. The available verdicts range from qualified approval to emphatic enthusiasm, with no outright negative response recorded. That spread needs some caution: several reviews counted as mixed have inaccessible or partial text, so their scores do not establish a shared critical objection. The documented disagreement concerns Ford’s style more than the performances. ## Radio Times — Adrian Turner Rating 5/5. Turner praises the film despite its historical liberties. He singles out the dance in the unfinished church as a fine sequence and symbol. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-yygbmi/my-darling-clementine/) ## Slant Magazine — Matthew Connolly Rating 4/4. 21 January 2014. Connolly praises the film as an elegant, poignant exploration of how a frontier community forms and changes. He singles out Ford’s staging of Earp and Clementine’s courtship at the church social as an especially remarkable evocation of burgeoning love. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/my-darling-clementine/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Jack D. Grant Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 9 October 1946. The critic delivers an emphatic rave, calling the film a standout among Ford’s Westerns. They especially praise the silent, suspenseful O.K. Corral gunfight and Ford’s direction. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/my-darling-clementine-review-john-ford-henry-fonda-1236440956/) ## The AV Club — Mike D'Angelo Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 October 2014. The critic calls it a magnificent, gloriously mythic Western whose historical inaccuracies do little to diminish its impact. He especially praises Ford’s striking images and assured visual choices, which make even quiet moments memorable. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/historical-inaccuracies-aside-my-darling-clementine-is-1798181601) ## The Guardian — Philip French Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 27 September 2015. French regards the film as a poetic masterpiece that captures the myths and aspirations of the American West despite its historical inaccuracies. He particularly praises Ford’s transformation of rough material into breathtaking poetry through the Monument Valley setting. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/sep/27/my-darling-clementine-review-myths-american-west) ## Time Out — PH Fi1m's normalised score 66/100 (inferred from the text). The available page text does not reveal the critic’s overall verdict. Its description singles out Ford’s emphasis on the film’s authenticity. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/my-darling-clementine) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The page appears to be a review of the specified film, but its verdict cannot be determined from the blocked content. No praise or criticism is available to identify. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-my-darling-clementine-1946) ## The New Yorker — John McCarten Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 14 December 1946. The issue lists McCarten’s review of “My Darling Clementine,” but the review text is not accessible here. The available page gives no specific verdict or detail singled out for praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1946/12/14) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 4 December 1946. The page identifies a New York Times screen review of the film, but its text is inaccessible. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be determined. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1946/12/04/archives/the-screen-darling-clementine-with-henry-fonda-as-marshal-of.html) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1945. The review finds Ford’s stylized direction occasionally self-indulgent, though the film remains engaging. It especially praises Henry Fonda’s sincere performance, which brings the role and film added excitement. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1945/film/reviews/my-darling-clementine-1200414733/) ## The Skinny — Ian Mantgani Rating ★★★★★. 1 September 2015. Mantgani praises the film as a lyrical, transcendent Western whose storytelling is simple but emotionally resonant. He singles out Ford’s poetic attention to the spaces between plot points and the film’s heartfelt relationships. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/my-darling-clementine) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 6 March 2006. The critic calls it a classic Western and an exemplary showcase for John Ford’s understated humanity. He especially praises Henry Fonda’s performance and the film’s richly observed characters and crackling script. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/my-darling-clementine-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/my-darling-clementine.md