Rio Bravo [DVD] [1959]

Asked by Ward Bond's character who he's got to fight the gang that is terrorising the town, John Wayne, playing John T. Chance {now there's a name} tells him he has a drunk, a crazy old man, and himself. "Is that all you've got?" wonders Bond. "That's WHAT I got" says Wayne. It's a joy to watch these two old friends' scenes together, both hugely underrated actors, whatever one now thinks of their politics. It's a mystery why John Wayne is still undervalued by some as one of the greatest and most natural of all screen actors, here at his relaxed best in one of the best ever westerns, and one of America's best and most enjoyable films of the period {it was made in 1959}.The critic David Thomson ~ a big fan of Wayne, director Howard Hawks, and this film ~ has rightly noted that this is only a western because the men are wearing cowboy hats. It's a kind of chamber western, but has so many similarities to other Hawks classics such as To Have and Have Not or even Bringing Up Baby that it's only incidentally a western.Whatever you call it, it's one of the most entertaining 135 minutes you could ever hope to spend.There's one performance that stands out as very special. Duke is great, Walter Brennan as Stumpy does his irascible old man act to perfection, and the young and gorgeous Angie Dickinson squares up to Wayne like few other actresses could, but it's Dean Martin, then at the height of his fame as a crooner {and he had a voice to die for} who gives one of the most beautifully considered performances in a film I've ever seen. His helpless drunk 'Dude' {though we never actually see him drunk}, who gets little overt sympathy from Chance, is note perfect, and it's criminal that Martin wasn't even nominated for an Oscar for such unforced, touching, honest acting. There's no playing to the gallery, or 'nudges' to the viewer regarding the ongoing myth of Dino's drinking habits, just a truly great performance. It's reason alone to see this gloriously re-watchable film.Ricky Nelson acquits himself well. He was no actor, but he plays the young gunman Colorado who helps them out well enough, and his duet with Dino is good to see and hear ~ though his solo is surely one song too many.Hawks never quite got comedy right in his westerns {though he was better at it by a mile than John Ford, who appears to have possessed almost no sense of humour} but the bantering scenes between Wayne and Dickinson, as 'Feathers', still work, since both play them less for laughs than for a hesitant, touching truthfulness. In fact, Angie is just fine in this film, and don't forget she was a new face back then.I love Rio Bravo {as I do Hawks' companion movies El Dorado and Rio Lobo, both also masterpieces} and have watched it more times than I can count. It always seems like the first time, there's so much to enjoy, from Russell Harlan's superb camera work to Wayne's way with a line or simply a slow walk, to Dean Martin every time he appears.Endlessly wondrous.

Yes - frequently shown on TV, but here you can watch it without adverts and also skip through the stupid singing scene.Walter Brennan steals the film.Great fun.

Turned up early plus they were cheaper than the shops and other sites I would buy again thank you

For me, one of the finest westerns ever made.

In 1952 Fred Zinneman directed a picture called High Noon which won four of that year's Academy Awards. It was a story of a town marshal who had three outlaws arriving on the noon train to seek revenge for being previously jailed. The marshal spends the whole film running around town, begging for help and not getting it. Finally he is saved by his fiance, a Quaker girl who hates violence. John Wayne and the great director Howard Hawks both felt that such a story was feeble, a tale that did not reflect the character and strength of the frontier folk upon whose efforts America was originally founded. Consequently they decided to make a film about the opposite situation: a sheriff in trouble who desperately needs help but never asks for it. The result was Rio Bravo. The narrative covers a small group of individuals cut off from mainstream life, each an outsider of one sort or another. It is about the development of character rather than plot. Its themes go deep and touch on duty, moral and physical incapacity and, ultimately, the redemption that comes to the individual soul when great difficulties are faced and not shirked or glossed over. In this way Rio Bravo is a joyous, life-affirming work and very different from the superficial and cynical "spaghetti" westerns that appeared a decade later which were mere exercises in style based on the tradition of the Commedia dell'Arte. By contrast the pace of Rio Bravo is relaxed allowing for genuine character development due in part to its writer Leigh Brackett providing a woman's perspective. (How often do the fair sex write westerns?). The unfolding relationship between the sheriff and the prostitute (John Wayne and Angie Dickinson) is exquisitely crafted while Dean Martin's performance as the struggling alcoholic is an acting masterclass in itself. Rio Bravo is a strong contender for the best western of all time perhaps second only to Ford's The Searchers.

Arrived on time and fair price .The movie its self is your typical western good guys verses bad guys and John Wayne is just John Wayne.The story is much the same as El Dorado which for me is just slightly better.Unfortunately i thought Rick Nelson was the weak link in the acting department ,he just over acted trying to be 'oh so cool' ,though i realise they needed a heart throb to appeal to the younger audience of the time.So to sum up good film let down by Rick Nelsons poor acting but dont let it put you off just my opinion .

Perfect casting, perfect acting, perfect story and script including dialogue, perfect directing, perfect cinematography, perfect soundtrack.

Arrived quickly and in perfect condition.A great value for money and a fun time. It is clear the time it came from and is not meant to be a Tarantino type piece! It is a fun watch and perfect for the fans of that old school Dean Martin swagger with a classic western mixed in.Would recommend for fans of Dino and/or that old school western style film.