Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5622 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-05-28
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Box set, PAL, Special Edition
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 135 minutes

Synopsis
No-nonsense Texas border sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne) fights off ruthless mercenary gunmen in order to keep a murderer in custody. But he can’t do it without the help of a ragtag band of locals (a singing kid, a toothless old man, a recovering alcoholic, and a feisty woman) who want to see justice restored to their embattled little town. There’s even a sing-along interlude featuring the Duke himself!

Customer Reviews

Howard Hawks' ode to professionalism and friendship
Hawks' great film finally gets a special edition DVD release. RIO BRAVO is one of the finest American Westerns from one of the greatest American filmmakers, although sadly the cult of Hawks seems to be waning amongst younger film fans. Nevertheless, this 'special edition' DVD release of RIO BRAVO is exemplary, a dream come true for the film's fans. The documentaries are brilliant, offering great insight into Hawks' craft and themes, and the commentary track with Richard Shickel and John Carpenter is excellent: Carpenter clearly knows this important and influential movie inside out, and on the commentary track he laments the way in which society has turned against the professionalism of Hawks and now venerates the amateur. Nowhere is this more apparent than in modern popular cinema, where the professionalism, honesty and narrative economy of a filmmaker like Hawks seems to have been almost completely neglected in favour of spectacle and narrative 'flab'.

If you're a fan of the movie, no doubt you've already made up your mind and ordered this disc; if you've never seen RIO BRAVO before and are considering ordering the DVD, please do so--you won't regret it, and you'll see how one of the best examples of how movies used to be made, and perhaps more importantly how more modern movies should be made.

Another great "Duke" movie.
The movie has been well reviewed previously so I will just elaborate slightly on the extras.The commentary has John Carpenter and Richard Schickel taking us through the movie although I cant remember hearing much from Schickel(it is quite a long time since i listened to the commentary).The 2 docs are "Howard Hawk`s Rio Bravo"(33:25) ,which is a retrospective making of ,featuring Angie Dickinson among others,and "The men who made movies:Howard Hawks"(55:02) which is about the career of Hawks.There is also a featurette "Old Tucson:Where the legends walked"(8:33) which is about the amazing "old tucson" studio set where"Rio Bravo" and countless other westerns have been made.The trailer(2:45) is also included.The cover says there is a trailer gallery which is not there and collectable behind the scenes photo set which was not in my copy .Hope this is a help to any prospective buyers.

What is it about this film that I can't give it five stars?
I like this film. Always have. Like the story. But something always makes it not quite tops.

I think it is something about that time in Hollywood when singers wanted to be actors and the whole incestuous Hollywood system let them - and, of course, there had to be a song somewhere.

Dean Martin does make a good job as Dude. There is no doubt that this is one of his best acting pieces. For once he is not parodying himself. Maybe it's just that I can't get the singer and actor out of my head and the images are confusing.

I know Ricky Nelson started as a juvenile actor before being a pop star but so what? He doesn't really do anything except look good and sing.

John Wayne gives one of his standard performances - effortless, solid and professional but without the glory of Stagecoach, The Searchers or Red River - let alone True Grit.

Walter Brennan is magnificent. Every performance he has ever done is a delight.

And Angie Dickinson. For those who first came across her in tv's Police Woman in the seventies, sexy older cop, Rio Bravo with the 26 year old version is a revelation. I think she acts rather better than most of the men - and I don't need the scene in tights to convince me of that - marvellous as it is. What a shame she didn't do a lot more.

Still I suppose you have to have the four star film to clearly identify the really great five star movies. I love this film and four stars is about right.