Rio Bravo (1959) – Encore Review

This a Covid-19 2020 minireview!

“No, sheriff. No, I’m not going to do that. You see… that’s what I’d do if I were the kind of girl that you think I am.” – Feathers

Number of Times Seen – At least 5 times (DVD, 20 Jun 2013 and 14 Dec 2020)

Link to original review – Here

Brief Synopsis – A tough town Sheriff must find a way to keep a murderer in the town jail while awaiting for the Area Marshall to show up and take him off to prison which is made more difficult since he lacks enough deputies while the killer’s gang tries whatever they can to free him.

Bottom Line – Amazing western that works so well. John Wayne is perfectly cast in the lead role and we can see the kind of stalwart character that he plays who will do all he can to fulfill his duty, no matter the cost. The supporting cast of this film is also great with Dean Martin, Ward Bond, Angie Dickinson, Ricky Nelson and Walter Brennan all helping Wayne the whole way through. The David vs. Goliath aspect of this story works really well and we get to see how the small band of heroes must use their wits in order to keep things from getting out of hand. The film has a few nice musical interludes that normally would seem completely out of place in a western, but they integrate them really well into this story especially as a way to lower the tension level that keeps rising throughout. This is one of y favorite Wayne performances because he is calm and collective the entire way through despite knowing the growing dangers around him. The story is able to mix together action, romance and a bit of humor along the way to enhance this story so much. Highly Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – After seeing the film, Gary Cooper said it was “so phony, nobody believes in it.” Ironically, Cooper had been a visitor to the set since he was filming The Hanging Tree (1959) nearby. This film is considered to be John Wayne and Howard Hawks’ reply to Cooper’s own film High Noon (1952) because neither Wayne nor Hawks thought a real lawman would want or need to ask for help in handling a problem like Cooper’s character did in that film. (From IMDB)

Rating – Oscar Worthy (9/10) (no change from original review)