Red River
2.5/4
Starring: John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Walter Brennan, John Ireland, Joanne Dru
Not Rated (probably PG for Violence)
I have nothing against the Western genre on principle. I'm sure you can make a great movie with horses, six-shooters and cowboy hats (and tumbleweeds, of course). It's just that I haven't seen any good entries. The ones I've seen are either overrated ("Unforgiven," the "3:10 to Yuma" remake) or horrible ("Shane"). Surely one starring John Wayne, whose name is synonymous with the genre, would be great. In truth, not really.
Thomas Dunson (Wayne) is as stubborn as they come. If he makes a decision, he sticks to it no matter what. Not even his best friend Groot (Brennan) can change his mind. So when he decides to abandon a wagon train to grow a cattle herd, he and Groot do so despite the objections of the train leader. It turns out to be a smart move, as the train is attacked and everyone, including Fen (Coleen Gray), the woman he loves and promised to send for, is killed. The only survivor is a kid named Matthew Garth (Mickey Kuhn), whom Dunson and Groot unofficially adopt.
Cut to more than a decade later. Dunson's herd has grown to 9,000, but staying in one place has made it unprofitable. He decides that the only way to make any money is to take it to Missouri and sell it, and that's a dangerous journey. With Matt (now played by Clift) and Groot, he and a bunch of the other men set out on the trail. But Dunson's financial woes have made him desperate, and that leads him to push the men harder than they would like (or is safe). Soon, there is enough dissension in the ranks to pit Dunson against Matt.
The idea behind "Red River," based on a story from the "Saturday Evening Post" by Charles Schnee (who co-wrote the screenplay), has potential. But the film is poorly paced. Shave about ten minutes off the first hour and I might be able to give the film a bit more than a marginal recommendation. Conflict is king in the movies, and there are times when it feels like Hawks is more interested in the minutiae of how to transport 9,000 cattle over 1,000 miles. But that stuff can really only be supplementary, not the focus of a film.
John Wayne is an icon, arguably one of the most famous stars ever to come out of Hollywood. Believe it or not, this is the first movie I've actually seen him in (edit: that's a lie. I saw him in "The High and Mighty"). He gives a good performance. In truth, it's better than the screenplay allows. Dunson is written as a one-dimensional lead, but Wayne makes sure we understand why he acts the way he does.
Although it wasn't the first movie Montgomery Clift made ("The Search" was filmed first), it was the film that made him an overnight sensation. It's a good performance, although I thought he was better in "From Here to Eternity." Matthew is loyal to Dunson, but won't support him when he crosses the line.
Of the supporting characters, Walter Brennan provides the most color as Groot (he also provides the narration). Not to be forgotten is John Ireland, who plays the silky and rather mysterious ranch hand, Cherry Valance. Both of them steal scenes and are fun to watch (especially Brennan).
"Red River" did not have the most harmonious cast. Clift didn't get along well with either Wayne or Brennan (he was a closeted gay Democrat while they were staunchly conservative Republicans). The studio claimed that the three of them had agreed not to discuss politics, but in reality they avoided each other like the plague. Clift actually turned down a role in "Rio Bravo" because he didn't want to work with either of them again. John Ireland's bad behavior (caused by alcoholism) caused Hawks to drastically reduce his role, which was originally offered to Cary Grant (who turned it down). And there were lots of injuries and illnesses on set.
I won't deny that there is some compelling material here. Some scenes land, particularly the action scenes. Others do not, due in no small part to the script, which contains some truly awful dialogue. The ending is also horrible. I could see what Hawks was trying to do, but it backfires and feels like a cheat as a result.
This isn't a terrible movie, but it should have been a lot better than it was.
Starring: John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Walter Brennan, John Ireland, Joanne Dru
Not Rated (probably PG for Violence)
I have nothing against the Western genre on principle. I'm sure you can make a great movie with horses, six-shooters and cowboy hats (and tumbleweeds, of course). It's just that I haven't seen any good entries. The ones I've seen are either overrated ("Unforgiven," the "3:10 to Yuma" remake) or horrible ("Shane"). Surely one starring John Wayne, whose name is synonymous with the genre, would be great. In truth, not really.
Thomas Dunson (Wayne) is as stubborn as they come. If he makes a decision, he sticks to it no matter what. Not even his best friend Groot (Brennan) can change his mind. So when he decides to abandon a wagon train to grow a cattle herd, he and Groot do so despite the objections of the train leader. It turns out to be a smart move, as the train is attacked and everyone, including Fen (Coleen Gray), the woman he loves and promised to send for, is killed. The only survivor is a kid named Matthew Garth (Mickey Kuhn), whom Dunson and Groot unofficially adopt.
Cut to more than a decade later. Dunson's herd has grown to 9,000, but staying in one place has made it unprofitable. He decides that the only way to make any money is to take it to Missouri and sell it, and that's a dangerous journey. With Matt (now played by Clift) and Groot, he and a bunch of the other men set out on the trail. But Dunson's financial woes have made him desperate, and that leads him to push the men harder than they would like (or is safe). Soon, there is enough dissension in the ranks to pit Dunson against Matt.
The idea behind "Red River," based on a story from the "Saturday Evening Post" by Charles Schnee (who co-wrote the screenplay), has potential. But the film is poorly paced. Shave about ten minutes off the first hour and I might be able to give the film a bit more than a marginal recommendation. Conflict is king in the movies, and there are times when it feels like Hawks is more interested in the minutiae of how to transport 9,000 cattle over 1,000 miles. But that stuff can really only be supplementary, not the focus of a film.
John Wayne is an icon, arguably one of the most famous stars ever to come out of Hollywood. Believe it or not, this is the first movie I've actually seen him in (edit: that's a lie. I saw him in "The High and Mighty"). He gives a good performance. In truth, it's better than the screenplay allows. Dunson is written as a one-dimensional lead, but Wayne makes sure we understand why he acts the way he does.
Although it wasn't the first movie Montgomery Clift made ("The Search" was filmed first), it was the film that made him an overnight sensation. It's a good performance, although I thought he was better in "From Here to Eternity." Matthew is loyal to Dunson, but won't support him when he crosses the line.
Of the supporting characters, Walter Brennan provides the most color as Groot (he also provides the narration). Not to be forgotten is John Ireland, who plays the silky and rather mysterious ranch hand, Cherry Valance. Both of them steal scenes and are fun to watch (especially Brennan).
"Red River" did not have the most harmonious cast. Clift didn't get along well with either Wayne or Brennan (he was a closeted gay Democrat while they were staunchly conservative Republicans). The studio claimed that the three of them had agreed not to discuss politics, but in reality they avoided each other like the plague. Clift actually turned down a role in "Rio Bravo" because he didn't want to work with either of them again. John Ireland's bad behavior (caused by alcoholism) caused Hawks to drastically reduce his role, which was originally offered to Cary Grant (who turned it down). And there were lots of injuries and illnesses on set.
I won't deny that there is some compelling material here. Some scenes land, particularly the action scenes. Others do not, due in no small part to the script, which contains some truly awful dialogue. The ending is also horrible. I could see what Hawks was trying to do, but it backfires and feels like a cheat as a result.
This isn't a terrible movie, but it should have been a lot better than it was.
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