Rio Lobo
by Howard Hawks
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DVD details
Actor: Christopher Mitchum, Jack Elam, Jennifer O'Neill, John Wayne, Jorge RiveroDirector: Howard Hawks
Brand: Rio
Cinematographer: William H. Clothier
Producer: Howard Hawks
Editor: John Woodcock
Producer: Paul Helmick
Writer: Burton Wohl
Writer: Leigh Brackett
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 114 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-04-29
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Reviews of Rio Lobo
DVD Review: Very worthwhile aspects -- train robbery, score, women & cast
Summary: 4 Stars
Released in 1970, Howard Hawks' "Rio Lobo" starts with a thrilling Confederate train robbery of a Union gold shipment. After the war Col. McNally (John Wayne) buddies up with Confederate Capt. "Frenchie" (Jorge Rivero) to try to track down the Union traitors indirectly responsible for the gold robberies and the death of his close comrade and spiritual son. The trail leads to the Texas town Rio Lobo and a showdown.
POSITIVES:
- One of the main reasons I bought "Rio Lobo" was the opening guitar score by Jerry Goldsmith. This sequence features an exceptional two-guitar piece with the camera zeroed-in closely on an acoustic guitar and the guitarist' hands. Sometimes I put this movie on just to see this part.
- The first half hour involves the Confederate train robbery and ensuing conflicts, which really make the film stand out from other Westerns. It's a great sequence -- convincing and original. Civil War devotees should seek out "Rio Lobo" just for this.
- Three notable women are featured: Jennifer O'Neill, Susana Dosamantes and Sherry Lansing who went on to became president of 20th Century-Fox and, later, chairman of Paramount Pictures (Lansing is the scarred girl Wayne more or less rides off into the sunset with). I've heard jokes/comments over the years about the number of babes in the town of Rio Lobo, most single. But, really, there's only two in the town: Maria (Susan), who is seeing Frenchie's comrade, and Lansing, who isn't all that exceptional anyway; O'Neill was just passing through as part of some snake oil show.
- The protagonists -- McNally (Wayne), Frenchie (Rivero), Shasta (O'Neil) and others (e.g. Jack Elam, Christopher Mitchum, Dosamantes and Lansing) -- have good chemistry and comaraderie. The film was made right after the advent of the Spaghetti Western, which was known for amorality and lack of character depth & camaraderie. The protagonists in Italo-Westerns were almost always antiheroes rather than heroes; they were grim, silent, one-dimensional killing machines, very comic-booky, e.g. Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Charles Bronson and Franco Nero (Django). While these types of characters are great when you're 13-20, they don't cut it when you're an adult and naturally require more depth and realism. Don't get me wrong, the Spaghetti-Westerns added (or perfected) a cool new style and grim sense of realism to the Western, but they accomplished this at the expense of morality, character depth and social realism. This explains why Clint Eastwood combined elements of both to forge the exceptional "The Outlaw Josey Wales" in 1976 after the decline of the Italo-Western. Needless to say, it's nice to have a group of likable characters in "Rio Lobo" who get along and you can root for.
- An exceptional example of this good-natured companionship is shown in the middle of the film before the protagonists reach Rio Lobo. McNally, Frenchie and Shasta are camping out in the desert where the running joke of McNally being "comfortable" for women (but not romantically attractive) starts. I love that scene.
- Great Mexican & Arizona locations. (I'm not sure if the opening Civil War sequences were filmed in Arizona but, if so, they did a great job of making it look like the East).
NEGATIVES:
- The story seems very disjointed. The opening Civil War sequence seems like a different film. And it takes about an hour just to make it to the titular Texas town, but I've been able to slowly adapt to this over the years and enjoy latter portions of the film.
- Some have complained about the acting, particularly O'Neill, Rivero and Mitchum, but is this their fault or the writer's fault? Regardless, I just chalk it up to the distinctiveness of the actors. I've met numerous unique people in life who act strangely, but it's really just their special individuality or style, e.g. Gary Cooper & John Wayne. I think that's the case here more than anything else.
- A few scenes are uncovincing. For instance, when Frenchie suddenly darts into Lansing's house while she's dressing, which is their first meeting; the ensuing conversation just doesn't smack of reality. I suppose the filmmakers were shooting for something amusing, but it seems patched in from another movie. Or the later episode where the protagonists raid the ranch house at night: people are lurking just around the corner and they aren't able to hear the various nearby (obviously loud) assaults? Why sure!
- The opening score is only heard a couple of more times, briefly, but not with guitars like the opening. This score was too great to be heard in such a limited capacity. Why not at least utilize it for the ending? This was a huge mistake.
"Rio Lobo" has similarities to Hawks' "Rio Bravo" (1959) and "El Dorado" (1967), both also with Wayne, but "Rio Lobo" is far from a remake of either. It has its own individual story. Of the three I like "El Dorado" the most followed by "Rio Lobo."
BOTTOM LINE: "Rio Lobo" is unique and underrated. Yes the story is disjointed and there are a few unconvincing scenes, which make the film seem dated compared to contemporaneous Westerns like "Duel At Diablo" or "Bandolero!" But "Rio Lobo" possesses numerous aspects that are really good and even great, like the opening score & guitar sequence, the thrilling train robbery & Civil War parts, the likable protagonists & their camaraderie, the beautiful women and stunning Mexican locations.
GRADE: Originally I rated "Rio Lobo" about 3/5 Stars but I've come to adjust to it's uniqueness and have developed a solid appreciation for the film. Hence, I understand why many give it 3 Stars or less but I personally regard it as a 4/5 Star effort overall, which translates to B or B-
It goes without saying, If you've seen "Rio Lobo" and felt it was mediocre give it another chance; it grows on you with repeat viewings.
The film runs 114 minutes.
Description of Rio Lobo
Union Col. Cord McNally's battles continue after the Civil War ends as he tracks two traitors responsible for the death of his best friend to Rio Lobo, Texas.Genre: Westerns
Rating: G
Release Date: 9-AUG-2005
Media Type: DVD
The final film by the legendary director Howard Hawks, released in 1970, found him paired with longtime leading man John Wayne in a story slightly similar to their more familiar Rio Bravo and El Dorado. Set at the end of the Civil War, the story finds Wayne playing a Union army colonel who recovers some stolen gold and roots out a traitor. Though a little creaky (Hawks had been making films since 1926), Rio Lobo nevertheless has his trademark, crackling dialogue, appealing characters, and ensemble spirit among the cast. This was a worthy finish to a fantastic career by a first-rank filmmaker. --Tom Keogh
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