Review of Rio Grande (1950) by David D — 23 Oct 2008

Part of John Ford's so-called "cavalry trilogy" and probably the most inconsequential, but that's what makes it so great! With nary a plot, there's plenty of time for Ford to explore the harsh. demanding life of the cavalryman and the women and children, who, perforce, lived the life with them. Rather than the usual frontier fort that is often seen in Westerns, the cavalry of Rio Grande are living in an encampment of tents and seem even more open to Indian attack. The skimpy plot concerns John Wayne as the camp commander whose son, a boy he barely knows, arrives as a regular soldier followed shortly by his mother (Maureen O'Hara). Wayne is torn by his devotion to duty and his feelings as a father. The relations between the cavalry and the neighbouring Indians is much less nuanced than in the other parts of the "trilogy", the Indians pretty much reduced to non-speaking people doing fantastic falls of horses while whooping.

There is also more time for Victor McLaglen to mug and some unbelievable horseback riding including "Roman"-style riding where two riders stands in the saddle on the backs of two horses and gallop madly around a field - even taking a jump! Unbelievable (but definitely not faked). The great character actor, Ben Johnson, was an accomplished horseman and does his usual spectacular riding in this film. Even if you're not too into Cowboys and Indians, this scene is near the film's beginning and well worth waiting for.

It also gets five out of five stars on the Manly He-Men rating system.