Review of Rio Bravo (1959) by Vance I — 29 Jun 2010

Who says that the old west is out of style? This is my first exposure to director Howard Hawks, and I am now more than sold on his character building abilities. I wouldn't be surprised if I found out he was an inspiration to J.J Abrams, another director who creates such fascinating characters with uncanny depth. With Rio Bravo, Sheriff Chance (John Wayne) has captured a brother of a famous ranch owner for murder. The ranch owner named Joe Burdette (Claude Akins) vows that he will do everything he can to break his brother free. Chance enlists the help of a drunk sharpshooter simply named "Dude" (Dean Martin), an old geyser Stumpy (Walter Brennan) and a sharp, young quick draw Colorado (Ricky Nelson). Together they form an alliance to fight off all the accomplices and plans that Joe throws at them. Hawks dives right into the thick of things with an opening bar sequence that is wordless. Off we go to the jail, then the fun begins. Rio Bravo is not only satisfying on a level of excitement, but also on a level of intimacy with the characters. Many scenes hold your interest as the characters banter and converse back and forth. Sometimes it is comedic, sometimes dramatic. It even gets romantic when a mysterious woman card player only known as Feathers (Angie Dickinson) enters the mix. These performances are so good. They are forced to face their faults and the scenes are delivered so well. I wish I knew these characters in real life. Rio Bravo is a great western that has an incredibly high entertainment value, even for today's generation. Bravo Mr. Hawks, bravo!

The plot is simple enough which allows for these characters to grow. Wayne has the straight man role as Sheriff Chance. It's obvious he is a good sheriff and he always means well, which is why he doesn't just shoot first and ask questions later. He believes in giving an honest man a chance. "Wait for the Marshall," he always says. Colorado enters the fray when a stagecoach escort enters town. You can tell Chance sees himself in Colorado. Young, smart, full of ambition and promise. Colorado is such a fascinating character because he seems to be so much smarter than the average teen around those times. He is not out getting drunk and making a fool out of himself, he can shoot a gun and he is crafty. The scene where some gun men hold up Chance is a fantastic scene that is so slick, if you blink you miss it.

Then, we have two performances that really outshine the rest of the stellar cast. Dean Martin as Dude is so complex and motivational. He is a man who finds his refuge in drinking his sorrows away. The only problem with this is, he is trying to quit. His hands shake as he tries to fight off the urge. He has lost his youth to a stupid addiction. You fall so hard for him as he breaks down and gives up. When Colorado is given a deputy job in place of Dude, he asks Chance "Is he as good as I used to be?" These devastating lines strip Dude down to rags. He has lost his way and all hope seems to be lost for this honest and well-meaning man.

Then we have the gorgeous Angie Dickinson playing Feathers, a woman who seems to be a gambling con thief who Chance accuses and finds out that she isn't exactly guilty. She finds immediate interest for the man in uniform, but she isn't a simple bimbo. Chance wants her to get on the stagecoach and head out of town for safety, but she stays, because she wants to be around Chance some more. When she is confronted by Chance as to why she didn't leave, she nails him with her wit. He says she should stop wearing those feathers, and she replies "That's what I would do if I were the kind of girl you think I am." This girl plays mind games like there is no tomorrow. The edge between Chance and Feathers is infectious. In an incredible drunk scene, Feathers rambles on and on, sometimes not even making sense. Dickinson steals all of the scenes she is in because of her beauty and her sly, sensual tone she adds to her lines.

If I had any complaints about Rio Bravo its that some of these characters were underused. The Mexican bar owner named Carlos (Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez) just comes in and out of the movie like a chicken with his head cut off delivering news or panic. He was a tad annoying because he really had no purpose other than a few sporadic laughs and necessary lines to move the plot forward. He was definitely out of place in the films finale when he brought some shells to help Chance. Why would he do something like this? We see he can't even shoot a gun properly.

There is also a massive under-usage of the villain Joe Burdette. Much like Carlos, he arrives and leaves very quickly. He is sort of the mysterious, distant villain that I really wanted to know better. It's obvious this guy is smart, with all the plans he set up for Chance and the gang, but I would have preferred to see him more. Instead of being the ghost running the show, why not be the bad guy with balls? I would have preferred he showed his face more often and was more of a threat. He only seems to threaten with his social status and large amount of money to pay off his villains. The pay off would have been better if Joe proved he can shoot with the best of them. Still, Joe is a decent villain with obvious motivation, he just seemed to be missing from many scenes.

However, when the film reaches the grand finale, only then do you start to realize just how awesome all of these characters were. Stumpy is a prime example of comic relief. He is always mumbling and grumbling especially when he gets made fun of. He is a cantankerous old man, he knows that, so he has a ball with it. Particularly in the finale when the dynamite starts to fly, he spouts a classic line. "Hey Dude! How do you like them apples?" Classic. Once the characters begin to sing "My Rifle, My Pony, and Me" you know that we have something special. Over a simple moment of peace and relaxation, these characters flourish. Howard Hawks fills these characters with so much emotion and credibility, you wish that they existed. Who wouldn't want to just hang out and have a beer with people like this? Hawks uses that audience bondage to craft an impeccable western that is simple and striking. Rio Bravo flies on the strength of its actors, the simplicity of its plot and the wonderful direction by Hawks. After Rio Bravo was done, I was shouting for an encore.