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Movies / On DVD / Red River
Red River

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Red River (1948)

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Reviews Counted:18

Fresh:18

Rotten:0

Average Rating:8.6/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 16 mins

Genre: Westerns

Synopsis: RED RIVER, Howard Hawks's masterpiece, is one of the greatest Westerns ever filmed, a saga of obsession and rivalry between a man and his adoptive son amid an epic struggle for survival in the Old... RED RIVER, Howard Hawks's masterpiece, is one of the greatest Westerns ever filmed, a saga of obsession and rivalry between a man and his adoptive son amid an epic struggle for survival in the Old West. Tom Dunson (John Wayne) journeys west to Texas to build a cattle empire and adopts Matthew Garth, a young boy orphaned by an Indian raid. Years later, Matthew (Montgomery Clift) returns from the Civil War and joins Dunson on a massive cattle drive north undertaken to avoid financial ruin. Stampedes and Indian attacks build tension, but it is Dunson's ironfisted leadership that causes the most problems, finally bringing the action to a boiling point that pits father against son. This bold canvas of the American frontier features stirring performances, including Clift in his first film and Wayne in one of his finest and most complex roles, stunning photography shot on location in Arizona, and a perfect balance of action, drama, romance, and comedy from one of Hollywood's greatest directors. [More]

Starring: John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Walter Brennan, Joanne Dru

Starring: John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Walter Brennan, Joanne Dru, Coleen Gray, John Ireland, Noah Beery, Harry Carey

Director: Howard Hawks

Director: Howard Hawks
Producer: Howard Hawks
Screenwriter: Borden Chase, Charles Schnee
Composer: Dimitri Tiomkin

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Red River

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1 - 18 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
tomato
5/5

Howard Hawks stages the definitive cow opera with beautiful, lyrical, exciting sequences of stampeding, rough weather, cowboying and Indian skirmishes.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 13 2008 05:12 PM

Empire Magazine

tomato

Of the may big names involved in the making of Red River, few made greater films.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 13 2008 05:09 PM

Channel 4 Film

tomato

Geoff Andrew

Immaculately shot by Russell Harlan, perfectly performed by a host of Hawks regulars, and shot through with dark comedy, it's probably the finest Western of the '40s.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 09 2006 03:16 AM

Time Out

tomato

The staging of physical conflict is deadly, equalling anything yet seen on the screen.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 13 2008 05:14 PM

Variety

tomato
4/5

Cole Smithey

No review available.

comment Comment | Feb., 11 2008 03:52 PM

ColeSmithey.com

tomato
3.5/5

Michael W. Phillips, Jr.

A grand, sprawling tale of the civilizing of the west.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 15 2007 05:47 PM

Goatdog's Movies

tomato
A

Emanuel Levy

This brilliant Hawks Western, one of the decade's best, has been interpreted in different ways, but at its core is the contrast between John Wayne's and Montgomery Clift's leadership style and perception of manhood.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 22 2006 10:38 PM

EmanuelLevy.Com

tomato
4/4

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Hawks never did anything self-consciously. You always realize how great his films are after you're through enjoying yourself.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 06 2006 03:37 AM

Combustible Celluloid

tomato
4/5

Philip Martin

No review available.

comment Comment | Apr., 08 2005 09:02 AM

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

tomato
4/5

Andy Klein

No review available.

comment Comment | Mar., 30 2005 11:06 PM

Los Angeles CityBeat

tomato
5/5

Carol Cling

No review available.

comment Comment | Oct., 10 2003 11:00 AM

Las Vegas Review-Journal

tomato
4.5/5

Bosley Crowther

Even despite a big let-down, which fortunately comes near the end, it stands sixteen hands above the level of routine horse opera these days. So strap on your trusty six-shooters and race to the wind-swept Capitol, you lovers of good old Western fiction.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 20 2003 05:19 PM

New York Times

tomato
4/5

Robert Roten

No review available.

comment Comment | Sep., 22 2002 03:55 PM

Laramie Movie Scope

tomato
A

Dennis Schwartz

It's the best western of the 1940s.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 22 2002 11:36 AM

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

tomato
3.5/5

Christopher Null

Filled with beautiful black and white photography, especially for its era, Red River is an atmospheric ride a la Unforgiven.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 09 2001 09:44 AM

Filmcritic.com

tomato
5/5

There have been many classic westerns but this Hawks masterpiece certainly ranks among the best of the genre.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 01 2000 12:00 AM

TV Guide's Movie Guide

tomato
4/4

Roger Ebert

It's a sign of the movie's complexity that John Wayne, often typecast, is given a tortured, conflicted character to play.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 01 2000 12:00 AM

Chicago Sun-Times

tomato

Tim Dirks

Red River (1948) is a classic western (considered by many critics to be one of the ten best westerns ever made), a sweeping, epic story about a cattle drive

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 01 2000 12:00 AM

Tim Dirks' The Greatest Films

 
 
1 - 18 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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