Whythorne

If life's hardships, current events, your job, poor health, relationships, etc. aren't getting you down enough, and you're one of those people who are perhaps more content and optimistic than important filmmakers know you deserve to be, there's hope in sight because this movie could be just your kind of escapist fare, with the potential to take you down that critically-acclaimed road to long-lasting depression.

Yes, was there ever such a downbeat masterpiece in cinematic history? Compared to this, "Shindler's List" is about as dark as "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."

I am impressed at the consistency and thoroughness of the direction, however. The unrelentingly tedious, dark, dreary, dragging storyline is in perfect sync with the unrelentingly tedious, dark, dreary, dragging performances, cinematography, music, etc.

Now, a lot of people who have not been happy with this movie and wonder what the purpose of it is need to use their imaginations a little. Reaching down deep for a sub-atomic particle of optimism, I think I may have found it. I can see this film being quite successfully employed by psychiatrists trying to help out those who are clinically suicidal. The way it would work is like this: the patient would be required to sit through this film without interruption, and then at the end, the psychiatrist turns to the patient and says "See, things could always be worse!"

However, one could argue that this film is about the perseverance to survive in spite of enormous odds against, the dedicated love between father and son amidst very difficult circumstances. The trouble is, that movie has already been made. It's called "The Pursuit of Happiness." And the big difference between that film and this one is that "Pursuit" actually has a practical, highly inspirational message that doesn't have you lunging for the razor blades or the jar of sleeping pills by the end.

A lot of people revere this western and that's fine. It's just another one of those that I throw into my "I don't get it" file, especially given the high rating here at IMDb. Director Hawks was a master of the obvious. His films rarely have any surprises and this is no exception. You know as soon as you see "Directed by Howard Hawks" during the credits that every good guy will survive the story. You know John Wayne's character is in about as much danger of not making it as, say, James Bond in a 007 flick.

Because of the lack of surprises, the story lacks any punch and is just another tepid bit of fluffy entertainment from the Howard Hawks mold...and he sure did like that mold. It's hard to keep this Western separate in my mind from "El Dorado" and "Rio Lobo," as they all follow the same formulaic character ensemble story. Heck, it's hard to separate this in my mind from "Hatari."

A couple of "Dont's" and "Dos": DON'T expect: anything subtle or nuanced, nice cinematography, in-depth character development or absorbing storyline. DO expect: hammy, over-the-top wooden acting, a complete lack of clever dialog, obvious plot lines, typical stage lighting and studio back lot sets.

It's occurs to me that "Rio Bravo" is to Westerns what "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad Mad World" is to comedies, and if that kind of broad and obvious treatment is your cup of sarsaparilla then you will no doubt savor this one.