Review of Rio Bravo (1959) by Tomek S — 20 Jul 2010

There's something magical about the way a movie can seem like an old friend, even if it's your very first time seeing it. Tarantino once gave an introduction to a screening of Rio Bravo where he described it not only as a great western, but as one of the finest "hang-out" films of all time; the movie dares to invest more time in character development than in quickdraw showdowns or apache raids. It isn't that nothing exciting happens (there's some very excellent gun-play), just that Hawks has a good sense for when to slow the gait of the film and let talented actors do their work.

Look for Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson singing "My Rifle, My Pony and Me.".