RIO LOBO

US, 1970, 114 minutes, Colour.
John Wayne, Jennifer O'Neill, Jack Elam.
Directed by Howard Hawks.

Rio Lobo is a typical John Wayne Western with the conventional ingredients, so one knows what to expect. It was directed by (and is the last film to date of) veteran director Howard Hawks, who directed Wayne in such classics as Red River, Rio Bravo and El Dorado.

1. How typical a Western plot did the film have? Does this matter?

2. Was the plot plausible and well handled to keep interest and excite attention? How?

3. Was John Wayne a sympathetic hero? What values did he stand for? As a person? As a man? As a soldier? As an American? Did he have any bad qualities?

4. How was Civil War feeling and its aftermath treated in the film?

5. How excitingly filmed were some sequences - e.g. the train, hijacking?

6. How humorous was the film? What was being laughed at? Was John Wayne being lightly mocked? Did this change the tone of the film as a Western?

7. What did the other principal characters add to the film - Shasta, a typical heroine; Phillips, as a ranchman, trigger-happy; Tuscarora, a 'son' figure; Cordona, a noble ally; Kitcham, the villain?

8. Was the final resolution plausible, acceptable?

9. How violent was the film? Unnecessarily so?

10. Was this a 'realistic' picture of the West or a 'Hollywood-glossy' picture? Why?