Howard Hawks’ last feature film was the end of an era and a comfortable vehicle for star John Wayne, during what would be the final chapter of his career. Rio Lobo is available now on Blu-ray in the UK from Eureka Entertainment.
As the American Civil War draws to a close, a small band of Confederates schemes to rob a Union payroll train, which results in the death of a lieutenant and close friend of Union Colonel Cord McNally (John Wayne). In an odd twist of fate, McNally unites with two of the Southern perpetrators after the war, and together they go in search of the raitors who sold information leading to the robbery.
Despite several low-effort performances from the supporting cast, Rio Lobo is a relatively light western that explores the themes of national reconciliation and the intolerance to the greed and corruption that prevent smaller communities from thriving. John Wayne is less aggressive than his usual self, which is a welcome change. He portrays McNally as a principled man serving the greater good without prejudice, especially towards his former wartime enemy, “Johnny Rebel”.
The women of Rio Lobo are not helpless victims, but scorned individuals at the hands of wicked men, whose desire for revenge is not hijacked by the male heroes. Jennifer O’Neill as Shasta Delaney is the instigator of the film’s main plot and manages to hold her own next to Wayne. Naturally, there are hints of romance. O’Neill would later go on to help carry a film for another screen icon by the name of Chuck Norris in A Force of One.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Limited edition booklet featuring new writing on Rio Lobo by film writer and critic Richard Combs
- Back to the Old West – new interview on Rio Lobo with Western scholar Austin Fisher, author of Radical Frontiers in the Spaghetti Western
- Directed and Produced by Howard Hawks – new interview with film historian Sheldon Hall on Rio Lobo and Hawksian cinema
- Original theatrical trailer
Two in-depth interviews that roughly total 25 minutes chart the evolution of the Western genre, from its golden era to the unconventional titles like High Noon, and the return to traditional style before the revisionist period. Hawks’ contribution to Western films may not equal that of John Ford, but Sheldon Hall certainly singles out how significant the director’s body of work truly was. Both these informative sit-downs serve a perfect post-feature education.
VIDEO AND AUDIO
Presented from a restoration by Paramount Pictures in 1080p, the 1.78:1 image looks very typical of westerns from the time. There’s a nice grainy texture to the image, but unlike the grand Technicolor classics, colours are slightly muted for a more natural appearance. Original English mono audio emphasises the dialogue, which does not suffer during action sequences, while the optional DTS HD-MA 5.1 track is immersive and provides nice scope sounds. Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing are included.
Even though Rio Lobo is restrained compared to most westerns of the time, it’s somewhat of a throwback with its harmonious sensibility as our cast of characters, who embody a restored nation, ride to stamp out a common enemy.
RIO LOBO
(1970, director: Howard Hawks)
★★★½
direct blu-ray screen captures
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