Rio Bravo Details

[Highly rated reviewer]

Excellent western and I'm not a John Wayne fan

Somebody was talking to me about how good they thought that Open Range was and I found this film to be very similar in its style with a surprisingly good performance from John Wayne holding the attention. I'm not a big fan of his, finding his acting a bit limited by the boundaries of his own personality yet this film is one that I really enjoyed. Some really surprising dialogue, decent action and good characterisation turned this into a very enjoyable western. It has dated slightly, with the final five minutes being a bit of a drag but it was tense, funny, dramatic and most importantly, entertaining. My first Howard Hawks western and I'll definitely be having a look at some others.

The definitive western

It says all that needs to be said about friendship, self respect, loyalty, courage, and, well, simply knowing and doing what's right! At its best the Western was a morality play. It was about not just knowing how to fight but knowing when it's right to fight (well that was Shane, but the principle's the same). It was about being on the side of the angels, even if you've only got one leg or you're a washed up drunk. Martin was never better, and the Duke never more vulnerable - at least to a young Angie Dickinson.