227. Rio Grande (1950)

Directed By John Ford

Synopsis

John Wayne is a Lt. Col. in the Cavalry, his son, which he hasn't seen for 15 years joins his regiment. His mother, Wayne's estranged wife comes to get her son back. Wayne starts re-conciliating. There's some Indians as well who Wayne slaughters, with the help of his son.

Review

Not a very interesting film, really. I haven't seen the other two previous films of Ford's Cavalry triology, but they seem to be quite independent. Anyway, the kind of western I have always dislike is the "white men versus Indians" one, it smacks of genocide.

Here is another example of a demonisation of Native Americans, they are portrayed as little more than drunken animals, with barbarian singing and kidnapping children. It's pretty awful. Other than that Wayne is not that great here, playing the character with all the subtlety of a plank of wood.

The cinematography is quite good, and there are some pretty impressive stunt scenes. Ford gives us more sights of the Monument Valley. Thanks Ford. And that is pretty much it. Oh and fuck the musical moments.

Final Grade

6/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

Ford wanted to make The Quiet Man first, but the man pulling the purse strings at Republic Pictures, Herbert Yates, insisted that Ford make Rio Grande first, using the same combination of Wayne and Maureen O'Hara; Yates didn't feel that the script of The Quiet Man was that good, and wanted Rio Grande out first to pay for The Quiet Man. (To Yates's surprise The Quiet Man, on its eventual release in 1952, would become Republic's number one film and become a favorite of Ford/Wayne fans.)

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