Rio Grande Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Rio Grande Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 23, 2020

John Ford's "Rio Grande" (1950) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage trailer for the film; vintage audio commentary by star Maureen O'Hara; new audio commentary by film historian Stephen Prince; archival programs; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Perhaps the most unusual characteristic of Rio Grande is its willingness to allow its melodrama to match and frequently overtake its action. But there are plenty of other post-war westerns that do the same, so why is this an unusual characteristic in this film? Because it is a John Ford film, and because the action is still filmed with that instantly recognizable sense of western grandiosity.

The majority of the events in the film take place on the western side of the Rio Grande, where Lieutenant Colonel Kirby Yorke (John Wayne) is in charge of a small calvary post that protects new settlers from the natives. After months of clashing with the united tribes that have been camping on the Mexican side of the river, Yorke has lost a big number of his men and made an urgent request for reinforcements. If he does not get more men, it is only a matter of time before the post is destroyed.

When a new and much smaller than requested group of young soldiers arrives in the outpost, Yorke is shocked to discover that one of the new recruits is his son, Jeff (Claude Jarman Jr.), who has recently failed his exams at West Point. Even though he has not seen him for more than fifteen years, Yorke welcomes him as a regular soldier and then instructs him to begin familiarizing himself with the rules everyone is require to follow while serving at the outpost. Shortly after, the last member of the broken family, Yorke’s estranged wife, Kathleen (Maureen O’Hara), and after a casual reception followed by a quiet dinner announces her intent to take her son back home. While Yorke ponders Kathleen’s request, Jeff declares that he is unwilling to go back, and the raids on the outpost intensify.

The final film in Ford’s Calvary Trilogy is unquestionably the most sentimental one. It still sees the West as a gloriously dangerous place, but here there is a sense of civility in the melodrama that has quite a different effect on its characterizations. Wayne’s character, for instance, reveals vulnerability that makes it virtually impossible to perceive him only as a battle-hardened soldier. He is also believable as a father and husband who tries to make the right decisions that would protect the ones he loves, and this ‘softer’ side of his personality gradually forces the audience to begin seeing the West from an entirely different angle. O’Hara’s visitor also does not look out of place in the outpost. She does need time to adjust, but it is a quick, very realistic learning period that allows her to preserve her integrity as a concerned mother. This is a very rare occurrence in Ford’s westerns, and not because his treatment of female characters is stereotypical, but because so much in these films is dedicated to the unforgiving nature of the West.

A very similar sense of ‘softer’ realism is also easily recognizable in the depiction of the men that are risking their lives to protect the outpost. These are young and older men whose lives are devoid of the great adventures that would have inspired others like them to head West. Like Yorke’s son, they are there because they have made difficult decisions, not because the outpost or the West are dream destinations that they have hoped to reach. Needless to say, even when they are not fighting and gather to cheer up each other, there is something undeniably sad about their isolated existence.

Ford shot the bulk of the film across Utah and Arizona with cinematographer Burt Glennon, who had earlier earned an Oscar nomination for his contribution to the director’s equally famous western Stagecoach.

Rio Grande Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Rio Grande arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.

This release isn't sourced from the older master that Olive Films used to produce this release of the film in 2012. Paramount Pictures apparently produced a newer transfer, which is what the folks at Eureka Entertainment used to prepare this release. Well, to make a long story short, even though I quite like how the film looks now, the truth is that at some point Paramount Pictures will have to do a proper restoration of it. Here's why: There is damage on the transfer that modern equipment can very easily repair or remove. I am not bothered by it, but I have to say that a proper restoration will take care of it. There are also a few sequences with extremely mild frame instability that can also be addressed. I am quite certain that a couple of noticeable density drops can be improved as well. The rest actually looks very good, but so did the studio's older remaster. Now, this remaster has proper gamma levels, and on the other release there are some unusual spikes/drops. The difference is very small, but I wish to mention it. The noticeable grain fluctuations remain (you can see an example with a very obvious inherited fluctuation in screencapture #3). The depth and overall density I like quite a lot, but again, I think that a proper restoration will produce better results. So, overall this is a good organic presentation of the film, but my feeling is that at some point in the future Paramount Pictures will revisit this film and there will be an even superior master. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Rio Grande Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I like the lossless track a lot. It is clear, stable, and with nice depth. Can it be better? Right now I am not convinced that it can. Modern equipment can do a lot to improve balance on older films, but I just don't think that the audio can sound significantly better than what I heard from the current lossless track.

Rio Grande Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Rio Grande. In English, not subtitled. (2 min)

• Along the Rio Grande - in this archival featurette, actress Maureen O'Hara recalls her work with John Ford during the shooting of Rio Grande and comments on some of the locations that are seen in the film. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• The Making of Rio Grande - this archival program examines the production history of Rio Grande. There is terrific information in it about the special chemistry between John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. The program is hosted by Leonard Maltin. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• Cavalry - new video essay by critic Tag Gallagher. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Audio Commentary One - this vintage commentary was recorded by star Maureen O'Hara and has appeared on previous home video releases of Rio Grande.

• Audio Commentary Two - this new audio commentary was recorded by film historian Stephen Prince. It is really good. It is an abundance of information about the conception of the film (including the real story that inspired it), John Ford's love for the American West, his relationship with John Wayne, his lensing preferences, etc. If you enjoy Rio Grande, find the time and listen to it in its entirety.

• Booklet - a collector's booklet featuring a new essay by western expert Howard Hughes; a new essay by film writer Phil Hoad; transcript of an interview with John Ford; excerpts from a conversation with Harry Carey, Jr.

Rio Grande Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This new release of John Ford's Rio Grande is sourced from a recent transfer that was prepared by Paramount Pictures. There is still quite a bit of damage on it, but it has strong organic qualities and I like it a lot. This being said, there is zero doubt in my mind that at some point in the future the studio will fully restore the film and there will be a superior master that will be used for a definitive home video release. How do I know this? Rio Grande is too big of a film for the studio to shelve it as it is. Finally, the release features a very informative new audio commentary by film historian Stephen Prince. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.