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Red River

Play trailer Poster for Red River 1948,  2h 13m,  Western Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 100% 29 Reviews Tomatometer 87% 5,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 29 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Headstrong Thomas Dunson (John Wayne) starts a thriving Texas cattle ranch with the help of his faithful trail hand, Groot (Walter Brennan), and his protégé, Matt Garth (Montgomery Clift), an orphan Dunson took under his wing when Matt was a boy. In need of money following the Civil War, Dunson and Matt lead a cattle drive to Missouri, where they will get a better price than locally, but the crotchety older man and his willful young partner begin to butt heads on the exhausting journey.

Critics Reviews

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Bob Thomas Associated Press Jun 20, 2019
Red River contains everything a western should have and throws in a few things more. Go to Full Review
James Agee TIME Magazine Feb 27, 2018
It is a rattling good outdoor adventure movie. Go to Full Review
Keith Phipps The Dissolve Jun 2, 2014
5/5
Hawks directs the film with his typical assurance and seeming lack of fuss, letting scenes play out in long takes, and framing the action against vistas that often dwarf the actors. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Mar 31, 2026
4/4
Director Howard Hawks’ magnificent movie features a performance by John Wayne that’s so remarkable, it led to John Ford (who had already directed the star in several films) cracking, "I never knew the son of a bitch could act!" Go to Full Review
Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand Feb 4, 2023
The opposition of acting styles is electric: laconic elder statesman [John] Wayne wearing his character like buckskin, dominating the screen as upstart method actor [Montgomery] Clift’s intensity burns a star right next to him. Go to Full Review
Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies Aug 24, 2022
4/5
“Red River” stakes its claim as a true classic of the Western genre. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Kylo S Apr 21, 2018 A scene of startling departure. A large number of cows move like flowing through the wilderness and the town. That is exactly a red river. The main character's insanity possessed by doing all the deprivation by the Union army creates the last scene. See more
Rey P Mar 23, 2018 Mighty ripe, red tomatoes for what basically is a 2-hr Rawhide with John Wayne instead of Eric Fleming as Gil Favor - and Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates. Some interesting casting but ultimately it's formulaic with very weak roles for the 2 women. Yes, Wayne was an uncharacteristic grump until at the end suddenly he's not - which is cinematically odd obligatory scripting. But it's worth a look if you've got the time. | ~ Norm de Guerre See more
Poe L Feb 19, 2018 One Of The Dukes Finest Performances This Movie Is A Masterpiece
Leia M Dec 28, 2017 Red River may stretch itself a little thin with its 133 minute run time, but the classic actors like John Wayne and Montgomery Clift mixed with the assured direction of Howard Hawks make for an enjoyable experience and a favorite among fans of classic Westerns. See more
Han M Sep 24, 2017 I liked Wayne here. One of his best if not best performance. Terrific western. Clift and Brennan are great also.
Draco M May 23, 2017 I think it's amazing how they were able to get so mach cattle in the movie. Watching this movie, you get a sense of what it was really like back in those days. Sometimes they can glamorize westerns, but this one is special. Seeing how it took them days just to cover a couple hundred miles is insane and especially having to maneuver and care for all the cattle. Great film this one. There were some unexpected turns that took place that I wasn't expecting. It was very well written and acted. Overall, wonderful Western flick that played by it's own rules. A delight to watch. See more
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Red River

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Red River

Red River: Official Clip - Comparing Guns Red River: Official Clip - Comparing Guns 1:53 Now Playing Red River: Official Clip - Indian Raid Red River: Official Clip - Indian Raid 3:05 Now Playing Red River: Official Clip - A Costly Stampede Red River: Official Clip - A Costly Stampede 3:02 Now Playing Red River: Official Clip - Every Time You Turn Around Red River: Official Clip - Every Time You Turn Around 1:29 Now Playing Red River: Official Clip - Showdown Red River: Official Clip - Showdown 3:51 Now Playing Red River: Official Clip - Don't Ever Trust Anybody Red River: Official Clip - Don't Ever Trust Anybody 2:01 Now Playing Red River: Official Clip - Don Diego's Land Red River: Official Clip - Don Diego's Land 2:46 Now Playing Red River: Official Clip - Who'll Stop Me? Red River: Official Clip - Who'll Stop Me? 2:54 Now Playing Red River: Official Clip - Punishment by Whip Red River: Official Clip - Punishment by Whip 2:25 Now Playing Red River: Official Clip - Mumbling Groot Red River: Official Clip - Mumbling Groot 1:16 Now Playing View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Headstrong Thomas Dunson (John Wayne) starts a thriving Texas cattle ranch with the help of his faithful trail hand, Groot (Walter Brennan), and his protégé, Matt Garth (Montgomery Clift), an orphan Dunson took under his wing when Matt was a boy. In need of money following the Civil War, Dunson and Matt lead a cattle drive to Missouri, where they will get a better price than locally, but the crotchety older man and his willful young partner begin to butt heads on the exhausting journey.
Director
Howard Hawks
Producer
Howard Hawks
Screenwriter
Borden Chase, Charles Schnee
Distributor
MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., United Artists
Production Co
Monterey Productions
Genre
Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 30, 1948, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 11, 2010
Runtime
2h 13m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)
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