Today’s quick review: Rio Grande. Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke (John Wayne) of the U.S. Cavalry has been tasked with a difficult mission: hunting down a band of Apaches that has been conducting raids across the Rio Grande. Yorke’s job is complicated when his son Jeff (Claude Jarman, Jr.) is assigned to his command as a new recruit. The boy is followed by his mother Kathleen (Maureen O’Hara), Yorke’s estranged wife, who begs him to release her son from duty.
Rio Grande is a Western war drama about a stern cavalry officer who is reunited with his wife and son. John Wayne stars as Kirby Yorke, whose loyalty to his country has cost him the pleasures of raising a family. The story follows his attempts to balance his duties as a soldier with his duties as a father and a husband, all while conducting a dangerous campaign. Rio Grande is a solid drama with potent themes and a steady story progression.
Rio Grande is at its best when portraying the harsh but rewarding nature of military service. Yorke runs his camp with rigor and efficiency, but he knows when to bend the rules for his men. The burden of command raises a barrier between him and his family, and seeing them try to break through it is one of the highlights of the movie. Rio Grande also paints a stirring picture of the cavalry, with deft horsemanship and a clear sense of camaraderie.
The one failing of Rio Grande is that it lacks the deft touch needed to turn its themes into memorable moments. Its characters are clearly developed, its conflicts are set up well, and its plot progresses smoothly from its inception to its finale. But along the way, there are no true emotional highs. The result is a drama that works reasonably well as a whole, but which is missing the potency of other war movies or romances.
Try Rio Grande when you are in the mood for either a relatively serious Western or a war drama with a personal angle to it. Rio Grande is not quite as masterful as some of its peers, either in terms of the scope of its story or its resonance. But its solid execution and engaging themes make it well worth a watch for those interested. Give it a try if you are a fan of classic Westerns or the details of military life.
For a John Wayne Western in a similar vein, try Hondo. For a darker Western about the cavalry, try Duel at Diablo. For a nautical war drama about the burdens of command, try Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. For a science fiction story about the relationship between a military officer and his son, try After Earth.
[7.1 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042895/). I give it a 7.0 for a cleanly executed story and interesting character dynamics.