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Rio Bravo
1959 141 min United States of America 12+
★8.2
Western, Drama
Director: Howard Hawks
Trailers
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Teaser
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Description
A small-town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a disabled man, a drunk, and a young gunfighter in his efforts to hold in jail the brother of the local bad guy.
Budget:
$1.2M
US Gross:
$12.54M
Worldwide:
$5.75M
Starring
John Wayne
Actor
Dean Martin
Actor
Ricky Nelson
Actor
Awards
4 wins & 5 nominations total
Key opinion
Rio Bravo is widely regarded as an influential masterpiece that revitalized the Western genre through its focus on character dynamics rather than traditional action tropes. While some viewers find its deliberate, conversational pacing and reused plot structures slightly predictable, the film is consistently praised for its charismatic performances and effective blend of tension and humor.
| Acting | The ensemble cast provides compelling portrayals of flawed characters who find redemption through their mutual loyalty. | |
| Score | Dmitri Tiomkin's score, particularly the musical sequences, elevates the film's atmosphere. | |
| Direction | Howard Hawks' direction successfully subverts genre expectations by prioritizing character intimacy and witty dialogue over pure action. | |
| Culture | The film’s influence on later directors like Tarantino and its inclusion in the National Film Registry underscore its lasting cultural importance. | |
| Pacing | The deliberate, slow-burn pacing rewards those who enjoy character development, while others find the nearly two-hour build-up to the climax to be overly ponderous. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is praised for its sharp, ironic dialogue, though critics note that the core plot structure is highly conventional and occasionally repetitive. |