Review of Red River (2009) by John A — 04 Sep 2011
Howard Hawks is my favorite Western director. If John Ford hadn't made such a ridiculous number of movies I think many would regard Hawks as the best ever. Red River is a big part of why.
He sets himself apart by pulling from his aptitude in other genres while cherry-picking his favorite elements of the western style. His films can deliver laughs like a screwy comedy but also bring enough complexity and contemptuous cynicism to rival a detective noir. There have been many westerns about the perils of a great cattle drive. With Hawks you get a drive-western about a son pitting himself against a father lost to blind ambition and murderous ruthlessness, amidst those same and additional perils. These, in fact, are only some of the more obvious of many things its about.
A staple of Hawks' best movies is sharp, blunt, and disarmingly believable dialogue. Character conversations define the movie. It's fluid and natural and at times seems benignly about nothing even though its always about everything. It's a cerebral western.
And well performed. Wayne gives one of his better showings, all of which seemed to come with his darker roles. Montgomery Clift, as Matt Garth (the son), carries a substantial portion of the film and is one of its most enjoyable components. Often more interesting than Wayne.
The cinematography attains the western grandeur and greatly plays to enhance the tension and nervousness of the story. Several memorable moments like the stampede and the Indian night raid are particularly impressive technically. There's no end to the number of beautiful shots and great moody use of shadows.
The weakest moment is the very end which resolves things a bit too instantly and cleanly for my taste, and had I been brought on to write and direct the final ten minutes this would have been one of the greatest films you've ever seen.
As it stands its only one of the greatest westerns you've ever seen. But if that's not enough for you, then you kind of suck a little bit.
This review of Red River (2009) was written by John A on 04 Sep 2011.
Red River has generally received positive reviews.
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