NFR Project: 'Red River' (1948)

 

NFR Project: “Red River”

Dir: Howard Hawks

Scr: Borden Chase, Charles Schnee

Pho: Russell Harlan

Ed: Christian Nyby

Premiere: Aug. 26, 1948

127 min.

Leave it to Howard Hawks to make an almost perfect Western on his second try (if you count Barbary Coast as a Western). Red River is simply remarkable, until its damp squib of an ending.

Hawks mastered every genre he ever attempted. This film is no exception. Using the basic plot as that of Mutiny on the Bounty out West, the movie marries two very different actors – tough John Wayne and sensitive Montgomery Clift, making them father and adopted son in conflict. With a strong script by Borden Chase, the valuable second-unit direction of Arthur Rosson, and a spectacular cast combine to create a landmark mature Western.

Wayne is Tom Dunson, a stubborn and ornery cattleman who doesn’t let a woman get in the way of his plans. When he separates from his beloved, her wagon train is beset by Indians and she is killed. The only survivor of the massacre is a young boy, Matthew Garth, who brings his cow along. He joins up with Wayne and his sidekick Groot (Walter Brennan) and together they forge a huge cattle empire.

Years later, Matthew (now Montgomery Clift) and Dunston plan to take the herd of 10,000 cattle north 1,000 miles to the railroad, for sale. Dunston aims to wind up at Sedalia, Missouri, but it appears that railroad has penetrated further west and can be met at Abilene, Kansas. The men are conflicted over which way to go, but Dunson stubbornly insists on going to Missouri.

Dunson aims to kill a cowboy for causing a stampede, but Matt wounds the man instead. Three other men state they want to quit; Dunson and Matt kill them. Three more men escape in the night; Dunson sends Cherry Valance (John Ireland) to capture them. He returns with two, having killed one. Dunson states his intention to hang the deserters. Matt says no. He disarms Dunson and abandons him, taking the herd to Abilene. Dunston swears he’ll find him and kill him.

Matt and his followers come upon a wagon train under Indian attack; they fight them off. Matt meets a spunky gal, Tess (Joanne Dru). They form a bond, but the cattle drive moves on. Eight days later, Dunson meets Tess, still bent on revenge. He offers her half the ranch if she will bear him a son. She agrees if Dunston will stop chasing Matt, but he refuses.

In the end, Dunson finds Matt and tries to goad him into gunplay. Matt refuses. Dunson and Matt then beat the stuffing out of each other.

This is where is movie goes south. Tess shows up, wielding a gun, and yells at them to stop fighting, stating that they know that they love each other. They stop fighting and reconcile. The end.

This unconvincing wrap-up solves the dilemma of the plot – who will die? It turns out, no one.

Up until then, everything was great. The story unfolds with epic sweep. There is a who’s who of great Western character actors on hand – Hank Worden, Paul Fix, Noah Beery Jr., Harry Carey and Harry Carey Jr., Tom Tyler, and Glenn Strange. Together they create a classic.

The NFR is one writer’s attempt to review all the films listed in the National Film Registry in chronological order. Next time: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.