RED RIVER is a fine, epic-feeling western from Howard Hawks, featuring John Wayne in a role in which he already plays an old-timer even this early on in his career. He's a cattle baron who must engage in a fraught and epic cross-country journey, aided by a bunch of young bucks whose rowdiness causes trouble. Wayne is well supported by a debuting Montgomery Clift alongside the likes of John Ireland as the young men he butts heads with, and what's interesting is that he transforms into a villain for part of the picture. All of the western cliches are present and correct here, from fights and showdowns to love triangles and Indian attacks, but the plot keeps you guessing and there's genuine suspense throughout.
Review of Red River
