Grade: A+
Synopsis: A sheriff (John Wayne) tries to keep a powerful rancher’s murderous brother in custody with the help of an alcoholic deputy (Dean Martin), an old cripple (Walter Brennan) and a young gunslinger (Ricky Nelson).
Rio Bravo may be the greatest movie ever made. I can’t say that any other way. Everything about this movie simply works, from the characters, to the pacing, to the cinematography; Rio Bravo is perfection.
Much has been said about how director Howard Hawks made Rio Bravo as a rebuttal to Gary Cooper’s High Noon, in which Cooper’s character begs the townspeople for help whereas John Wayne’s character actually turns down help when it’s offered, but Rio Bravo goes far beyond a rebuttal to High Noon, and distills the “What it means to be a man” theme that runs through so many of Hawks’s movies. Wayne’s character is the epitome of manhood: strong-willed, independent, and confident; he is the man we all want to be. Contrasting him are the vulnerable Dean Martin, the fragile Walter Brennan, and the young Rickey Nelson; all of whom represent flaws the audience can identify with, and all of whom eventually overcome their shortcoming and prove themselves. In making Rio Bravo, Hawks not only shows what it means to be a man, he shows what it means to become one.
Of course it doesn’t hurt that the script is littered with some of the best dialog to ever find it’s way into a movie, from the classic “Sorry don’t get it done Dude”, to my personal favorite “We’ll remember you said that”, Rio Bravo is littered with memorable lines.
Bottom Line: I’ll say it again, Rio Bravo may be the greatest movie ever made. Period.
