Review of River of No Return (1954) by Brett C — 21 Sep 2014

Review In A Nutshell:

Otto Preminger's River of No Return surprised me, given that this is one of Preminger's lesser known films and I have heard many remarks that this was one of the weaker films from Marilyn Monroe's filmography. It provided a story that had me invested in its characters and supported with the use of Cinemascope that left me visually engaged. It does contain some flaws in its screenplay and direction but they never reached to a point of being unbearable and damaging the other aspects of the film.

On its surface, the film provides a simple plot about revenge and justice but viewing the film only from this angle, would barely cover on why this film is so entertaining. The film spends an appropriate amount of time fleshing out the back-stories of its lead characters, while also connecting them to the important themes of the film. The film in its core is trying to demonstrate the idea of social injustice and the damaging effects of human nature; the obsession of claiming back what we believe is deservingly ours. The film, for the most part, depicts the consequences of these characters to be irreversible but redeems itself right at the very end; I was torn with this as I personally feel that society still possesses a selfish and destructing attitude but at the same time, even if we are not close to perfection, I also see a sense of improvement in our ability to tolerate different cultures and values.

My disappointments are found with the film's depiction of the Indian society, as here they come off as villains and savages. It actually made it hard for me to sympathise the loss that the protagonist suffered.

The film's photography was gorgeous. The use of Cinemascope allowed the story to feel much larger than what it actually is. Even when we are watching an intimate story, there was always this large weight that surrounds its characters. The photography was one of the main reasons why I truly felt the sense of threat that these characters are in, and mind you they are abundant.

The performances in this film ranged from good to fantastic. Robert Mitchum, who plays the leading man in this film, was certainly a man's man. In each scene he was in, an element of dominance was displayed and demonstrating vulnerability with subtlety. Marilyn Monroe was a revelation here, playing a role that is certainly out of her comfort zone. She never at all, seemed awkward in the role; she actually suits playing a character with a bit of grit in her personality. The musical sequences she performed was different and entertaining, the down to earth quality she brings has convinced me that she was, at the time of her fame, a force to be reckoned with.

River of No Return may not be the perfect film, and I did not expect it to be, but it is a great one. This was a great starting point in exploring Otto Preminger's filmography and a unique entry in Monroe's acting career.