Rio Bravo

Rio Bravo (1959)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Directed by Howard Hawks
Starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson

In 1952, the controversial Fred Zinneman film, High Noon, was released. The film was an allegory for the blacklisting occurring in Hollywood at the time. The film was praised and hated for its blatant stab at the communist rumors running throughout Hollywood. In 1959, two supporters of the blacklisting, John Wayne and Howard Hawks, decided to create a more conservative response to High Noon. Their collaborate film, Rio Bravo, tells the story of a local sheriff who stands up to the local outlaws with his trusty deputies. Sheriff John Chance (Wayne) and Deputy Dude (Martin) arrest Joe Burdette for the murder of a bystander in a local saloon. When news of his arrest makes its way to his brother, Nathan Burdette, he leads his posse into town demanding that Chance releases him. Chance refuses and decides to hold Joe in the jail until the Marshall can come and take him into custody. Nathan stages an attempt to rescue his brother and kill Chance and his deputies if he must.

This is a near perfect western film. The acting is wonderful. John Wayne gives one of his best performances to date. Sheriff Chance is an American hero. He is a man of the law; he has strong morals. He is also a very different character from Gary Cooper’s character in High Noon. Dean Martin plays the now-sober Dude. He is a very sympathetic character and is more likeable than Chance. This is because Martin is more laid back than the uptight Wayne in his roles. Martin completely looses himself in the role, which makes him more of a relatable character. Dude has doubts about honor and duty, which most people share.

Because Rio Bravo was created as a response to High Noon, there are many comparisons and differences. Both feature a strong sheriff who must deal with a dire situation that will test their morals and honor. Chance must protect his deputies and the town from a local thug who is trying to break his brother out of the jailhouse. In High Noon, Sheriff Will Kane must protect the town from a retuning thug who has sworn to kill Kane. Both plots are similar, but in High Noon, all of the deputies and townsfolk turn their back on Kane and refuse to help him. Both John Wayne and Howard Hawks hated the plotline that references blacklisting. Just like in Hollywood at the time, everyone turned their back on people being called out. In the final gunfight in High Noon, Kane’s wife is the only one who helps him. This was called out by Wayne and spoofed in Rio Bravo when Chance asks, “What’s next?” His deputy replies, “Maybe the girl with another flower pot.” Wayne believed that High Noon was extremely un-American and that anyone who believes in honor and duty would have stood with Kane against the villains.

Rio Bravo is a classic Western film that created the template for later Westerns: cowboy sheriff is threatened by outlaw, must get help, and has a final gunfight for their lives. Almost every Western since has followed this template. Because of the template and the strong characters, Rio Bravo is a genre classic that defines Westerns such as High Noon and The Searchers. John Wayne gives one of his finest performances with the cool Dean Martin. The cinematography is classic, the scenery and sets are realistic, and the music is wonderful. Howard Hawks has created another masterpiece in his filmography that already includes Scarface and Only Angels Have Wing. Rio Bravo was created as a backlash towards High Noon, and not only did it prove its point, it became a classic of its own and a very influential film.

Rating: A-


July 5, 2010