Film Review
The pairing of screen icons Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe makes
River of No Return a popular and
lively western, although its appeal to serious aficionados of the genre
is thin, to say the least. Tellingly, neither Marilyn Monroe nor
director Otto Preminger wanted to make this film; both only went along
for the ride because of their contracts with Twentieth
Century-Fox. For Preminger the experience of making this film was
so fraught that, once it was in the can, he bought his way out of his
contract with Fox, insisting that he would never again work for a large
studio. It may be hard to believe, but the homespun plot, conceived by Louis Lantz, derives from
that of Vittorio De Sica's
The Bicycle Thief (1948).
For all the backstage tensions and Preminger's aversion for
CinemaScope, the film holds together pretty well - in fact, far better
than it deserves to. On the plus side, good use is made of the
stunning Canadian location and Monroe gets to sing four enjoyable
musical numbers in her inimitable style. It's a pity that the
script doesn't come up to scratch. Even for a genre as prone to
cliché as the western this is pretty derivative stuff. It
doesn't take long before the heavy plot contrivances and hackneyed
dialogue become so aggravating that you just have to ally yourselves
with the inexplicably psychopathic Red Indians and start firing arrows
(or the nearest object at your disposal) at the screen. There is
not a character in the film who has more depth than a sheet of
BacoFoil, but that hardly matters. Monroe and Mitchum are on fine
form and, whilst the film is far from perfect, it is still mildly
entertaining - particularly if you approve of the notion that children
should be trained in the use of firearms from the age of ten.
© James Travers 2008
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Otto Preminger film:
The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)
Film Synopsis
It is 1875 and the North American gold rush is well underway.
Matt Calder arrives at a gold prospecting settlement to collect his
ten-year-old son Mark. Recently released from prison after
serving a sentence for murder, Matt has resolved to make a fresh start
as a farmer. He meets Kay, an attractive bar singer who has
befriended Mark. Kay's boyfriend is Harry, a gambler who
reveals that he has just won a claim on a patch of land believed to be
rich in gold. Harry persuades Kay to go with him to the nearest
town so that they can file the claim and get married. They go
down river by raft, but the river proves to be more hazardous than they
had anticipated. They are saved from downing by Matt. Harry
repays this kindness by knocking Matt unconscious and running off with
his only horse and gun. Kay stays behind to look after Matt and
his son. When he regains consciousness, Matt insists that they
must leave the area at once, since, without the gun, they are
defenceless against the hostile Indians...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.