Río rojo

Another classic western that I came across. I try to pace them gradually so I don't get bored, but I don't think it's possible. I think I've reached an age where I can finally appreciate these movies a little, because when I was younger I probably couldn't. I must admit, I never thought John Wayne was a great actor, I thought he was just the guy who walks with his guns low on his hips, occasionally says some tough lines and always wears a hat. First of all, he definitely doesn't always wear that hat. And secondly... Secondly, that guy can simply act. It's not the highest level, but when I watched him in the movie "Red River", I really felt like I was watching a real character, a person with values who wants to achieve a goal, a goal that is ultimately so crucial that the path he chooses doesn't matter, right? The most important thing is that the herd gets to where it needs to be. Thomas Dunson is a cattle driver who owns a large herd in Texas. It was his dream, but after several years he realizes that he is in trouble. The California markets are closed and he will have to drive the herd to Missouri, which is damn far away. Nevertheless, he decides to undertake this, because otherwise he is - as he repeats several times - penniless. Matt, a young man who Thomas took under his wing as a boy and who grew up among the cows, also sets out on the journey with him. There are also other guys with them. And things go wrong. No, certainly no one expected that transporting such a herd, which numbers thousands of heads, would be easy. It's not easy. The problems are caused by the Indians, thieves, but also stupid accidents and clumsiness of some people. It's almost amusing when you see what's happening, but at the same time you realize how terrible it must have been, because these guys simply couldn't live off anything else. On the one hand, I think about how beautiful the Wild West was. When you got into a dispute with someone, it was settled with a gun. The one who won, won. Survived and moved on. Among all the guys, there were no low blows, but the villains didn't shoot right away either. When they had someone they considered equal, they dueled. They didn't shoot prematurely, only when both were ready to shoot. The faster one won and it was done. Today, everything is a bit more complicated, on the other hand, even the slower ones can win. "Red River" is definitely not just about shooting. It's about how people can stand up for themselves, how it brings them into serious trouble, and how in the end everything can still end up as it should have from the beginning. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2013/02/now-is-good-stand-up-guys-bourne-30.html (05.03.2013)

Romance, livestock, wilderness, Indians, shootouts, ruggedness, and tough guys in a surprisingly nourishing mixture that quickly flies by in its age. Additionally, John Wayne is not just a one-dimensional character here, but a deeply developed cowboy with a flood of dark sides from a psychological perspective. It is ironic that Hawks overturns the cliché of the true cowboys already during their golden age. (17.09.2007)