A great Western classic that proves Wayne a better actor than most would claim, Red River is a defining film for the genre. The epic tale of a tyrannical cattle baron determined to drive his entire herd one-thousand miles, from Texas to Missouri, is an adventure of gargantuan size. Howard Hawk’s precise direction grounds this epic tale in an intimate conflict between Wayne’s patriarchal Dunson and Montgomery Clift’s cool and collected persona as Dunson’s adopted son. Together, they clash over the many troubles of the arduous journey, featuring a terrifying stampede, threats of Indian attacks, and a bubbling mutiny against the abusive Dunson. Red River is an undeniable classic, and an amazing achievement for Hawks. It was his first of many great Westerns, one which would come to define him as a key pioneer of the genre.
0:00 – 34:05: Box Office
34:05 – 1:04:02: Red River