Review // Rio Bravo (1959)

“John Wayne and Dean Martin star as a Western sheriff and his recovering alcoholic deputy who, along with a small ragtag group of men and women, refuse to release a suspected murderer from jail, even though they are surrounded and greatly outnumbered by gunmen.” (from imdb)

When I tell you that that was the best official summary I could find… Talk about underselling. Well, plot point wise, I guess it works. But take my word for it, that’s not the half of it.

A quintessential, down-to-earth western, Rio Bravo is just delightful.

John Wayne is his usual larger-than-life self -- very calm, levelheaded, and masterful.

It’s my favorite role of Walter Brennan’s to date.

Dean Martin does a fantastic job.

And I think it’s the first time I’d seen Ricky Nelson.

The crooning bit in the jail is one of my favorite parts.

The manly, good-humored camaraderie, the everyday banter among the sheriff and his deputies is so fun. I love how well they all know each other and absolutely have each other’s backs. I also like how they’re not fighting over the same woman, but genuinely happy for and/or concerned about each other.

I loved how Angie Dickinsen handled her part... sparkling and witty, with a soft, captivating archness.

On my last viewing, I realized how much I really love their love story -- how she backs him up and has that sweetness, but she’s not naïve. 

And she most certainly has a backbone -- there's no sidelining her -- but she’s also fully on board with the team. I love how she integrates with the group of friends as a whole, building her own rapport / not pulling him away to create their own little bubble. Such a healthy foundation for a relationship.

John Wayne and Howard Hawks did make Rio Bravo as a direct response to High Noon, but what they created was a classic in its own right. John T. Chance is the lawman who won’t back down – who doesn’t let the idea of failure even be a talking point. That is, he realistically knows that they could end up dead, but giving up just isn’t on the table. He and his deputies experience nerves, but not fear. And once the shooting actually starts, his easy confidence + the high spirits of all three of his deputies just tells us from the get-go that everything will be ok. 

And Chance makes do with what he’s got. He’s not against help, but he doesn’t ask for it, and (however willing they might be) he doesn’t want help from anyone with other ties and responsibilities that they would be endangering. He wears the badge. It's his job to protect the people.

Content wise: There's regular western shooting, etc. but all very bloodless. And in the ending scene, Feathers is wearing a saloon dancing costume (about equivalent to a 50’s bathing suit) from her earlier life (donned with the intent of clearing the air with him about her past) and he tells her why he doesn’t want her wearing it in public, so ultimately it’s clear where this relationship is heading, but nothing’s shown then (or throughout), so the viewer can decide for themselves how things develop. As always, I recommend a parental preview to decide age appropriateness. But you know me ;), I’m over cautious when making recommendations, and it's really not much, so don’t let that deter you from checking it out.

Comfortable... endearing... reassuring, this western is great fun. It warms my heart and has become such a favorite. I’d love to hear if you’ve seen it!