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 November 25, 2020

John Ford's "Rio Grande" (1950) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films. The supplemental features on the disc include new video interview with actor Claude Jarman Jr.; new video interview with Claude Jarman Jr.; new audio commentary by author and critic Nancy Schoenberger; archival program with Leonard Maltin; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "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 Olive Films.

I expected the technical presentation to be virtually identical to the one from this recent release that Eureka Entertainment produced in the United Kingdom. The Olive Films and Eureka Entertainment releases both promised "new restoration" of the film, so I thought that they will be sharing the same source. But the technical presentation on this release is different. Generally speaking, the film tends to look darker because there are stronger ranges of blacks and grays. However, I also think that some of the discrepancies that emerge, especially in darker areas, can be linked to encoding anomalies that are present on the other release (screencapture #17 on the Region-B release clearly produces some chroma-like greenish/redish patterns that interfere with the grays, though it looks like it has finer nuances). Also, I can tell that the master that was used to produce this release has had some particular work done, which is common for "digital restorations", so the slightly elevated blacks and grays that are present on it could have been introduced there. Still, the overall appearance of the visuals is quite nice and has proper organic qualities. I did not see as much damage on this release as I did on the other release. There is still room for improvements, but the presentation is clearly healthier. Grain fluctuations remain. All in all, this release offers a nice presentation of the film, but I think that there is a good chance that in the future Paramount Pictures will revisit it and produce a superior master. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Rio Grande Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not detect any serious anomalies to report in our review. The audio is clear and stable. Its dynamic is good, but you have to keep in mind that there are obvious native limitations. There are no encoding issues.

Rio Grande Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - vintage theatrical trailer for Rio Grande. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080i).

• Bigger Than Life - in this new video interview, Claude Jarman Jr. recalls his first encounter with John Ford and how he was cast to play the son of John Wayne's character, what the film industry was like at the time, his relationship with his dad and time in Hollywood, etc. In English, not subtitled. (14 min, 1080p).

• Strength and Courage - in this new video interview, Patrick Wayne, son of John Wayne, recalls what it was like to be around his dad and have a small role in Rio Grande. Mr. Wayne also discusses John Ford's working methods and personality. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, 1080p).

• Telling Real Histories - in this new video interview, actor and choreographer Raoul Trujillo discusses the depiction of the Indian characters in Rio Grande. In English, not subtitled. (14 min, 1080p).

• Songs of the Rio Grande - in this new video interview, Marc Wanamaker discusses Sons of the Pioneers and the use of their music in Rio Grande. In English, not subtitled. (6 min, 1080p).

• 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, 1080i).

• Cavalry - video essay by critic Tag Gallagher. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, 1080p).

• Essay - new essay by Paul Andrew Hutton. In text-format.

• Commentary - Nancy Schoenberger, author of Wayne and Ford: The Films, the Friendship, and the Forging of an American Hero, shares a lot of interesting information about the Calvary Trilogy, the production of Rio Grande, the main conflicts in the film, the manner in which the military is represented, John Ford's relationship with John Wayne, etc.

• Booklet - 8-page booklet featuring a printed version of Paul Andrew Hutton's essay.

Rio Grande Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This new release from Olive Films offers a good presentation of John Ford's Rio Grande with some interesting new bonus features. If you have the label's previous release, should you consider an upgrade? Well, I think that the main improvements come from proper digital work, plus the film looks healthier now, so overall the presentation is clearly superior. I have the previous release and on my system the difference in quality is very easy to appreciate. This being said, I think that in the future Paramount Pictures will revisit Rio Grande and deliver a superior master which will be used for a definitive home video release. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.