Retrospective Film Review

Rio Bravo (1959) • 65 Years Later — the quintessential Western

A small-town sheriff enlists the help of a disabled man, a drunk, and a young gunfighter in his efforts to hold in jail the brother of the local bad guy.

The Western is a genre that’s undergone more transformations than any other, incorporating a multitude of themes and motifs along the way. It’s become such a staple of cinema that its iconography is easily transmuted. Sets, props, costumes, and characters all form a visual language that can be readily manipulated to suit the film’s message.

As a result, the Western’s been reimagined and reinterpreted countless times. It’s been lampooned in the likes of Blazing Saddles (1974) and reinvigorated by Unforgiven (1992). But then, what exactly is the quintessential Western? What model are these movies drawing on? Which film provides the template for the genre, the mould from which a plethora of imitators would be formed? While there are a few strong contenders, you could do no wrong by selecting Rio Bravo.