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Rio Grande

Rio Grande

Western · 1950

Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke is posted on the Texas frontier to defend settlers against depredations of marauding Apaches. Col. Yorke is under considerable stress by a serious shortage of troops of his command. Tension is added when Yorke's son (whom he hasn't seen in fifteen years), Trooper Jeff Yorke, is one of 18 recruits sent to the regiment.

Movie details

Rio Grande

“John Ford's Most Powerful Drama. The Breathtaking Saga of the United States Cavalry! The third installment of John Ford's trilogy...”

1950 Western 1h 45m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.8 / 10

Community rating

Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke is posted on the Texas frontier to defend settlers against depredations of marauding Apaches. Col. Yorke is under considerable stress by a serious shortage of troops of his command. Tension is added when Yorke's son (whom he hasn't seen in fifteen years), Trooper Jeff Yorke, is one of 18 recruits sent to the regiment.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Rio Grande?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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A trio of American adventurers marooned in rural Mexico are recruited by a beautiful woman to rescue her husband from Apaches.

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After crossing the border illegally for work, Miguel, a hard-working father and devoted husband, finds himself wrongfully accused of murdering a former sheriff’s wife. After learning of his imprisonment, Miguel’s pregnant wife tries to come to his aid and lands in the hands of corrupt coyotes who hold her for ransom. Dissatisfied with the police department’s investigation, the former sheriff tries to uncover the truth about his wife’s death and discovers disturbing evidence that will destroy one family’s future, or tear another’s apart.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

John Ford

Written by

James Kevin McGuinness

John Wayne

John Wayne

Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke

Maureen O'Hara

Maureen O'Hara

Mrs. Kathleen Yorke

Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson

Trooper Travis Tyree

Claude Jarman Jr.

Claude Jarman Jr.

Trooper Jefferson 'Jeff' Yorke

Harry Carey, Jr.

Harry Carey, Jr.

Trooper Daniel 'Sandy' Boone

Chill Wills

Chill Wills

Dr. Wilkins

J. Carrol Naish

J. Carrol Naish

Lt. Gen. Philip Sheridan

Court is in session

Put Rio Grande on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Patience is part of the point.”

Duration becomes texture. The film asks you to inhabit its world instead of merely processing its plot.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“A test of endurance, your honour.”

Stillness keeps submitting itself as meaning. At some point, contemplation needs something worth contemplating.