Rio Bravo

100%

Thematically, this is a movie about quietly asserted manhood, self esteem, male bonding, personal maturity and professionalism: 'Think you're good enough?' A character driven masterpiece about ethics and morality where it is not enough to be tough, you also have to be right and you also have to be good. This is the quintessential Western that distils all of the qualities Western fans love about the genre into a single viewing experience: A meritocracy of men – not boys - where only masculine ability counts and women know the difference.

In plot terms, this focuses on an alcoholic – played brilliantly to type by Dean MARTIN – and his ongoing and essentially self indulgent struggle with his self doubt. The question throughout the movie is, will he beat his demons or will they defeat him?

John WAYNE's trademark gait is like that of a cat - if it walked on two legs. Meanwhile the leggy Angie Dickinson is excellent as his female foil – a combination of feral femininity and masculine toughness that director Howard Hawks always liked in his leading ladies. She is completely convincing as a woman who could soften the rough edges of WAYNE's character.


Article copyright © 2009 Frank TALKER. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute it in any format; provided that mention of the author’s Weblog (http://franktalker5.blogspot.com/) is included: E-mail notification requested. All other rights reserved. Frank TALKER is also the author of Sweaty Socks: A Treatise on the Inevitability of Toe Jam in Hot Weather (East Cheam Press: Groper Books, 1997) and is University of Bullshit Professor Emeritus of Madeupology.