Red River

Set after the Civil War, Red River follows rancher Thomas Dunson, who has built one of the largest herds in Texas and decides to drive ten thousand cattle north to market. The journey is long and punishing, and as it wears on, Dunson's determination hardens into something his adopted son and protégé, Matthew Garth, can no longer accept. The conflict between the two men grows until the drive itself is thrown into question.

Howard Hawks directed and produced the film, working from a screenplay by Borden Chase and Charles Schnee. It was the tenth of the nineteen films he directed in chronological order, arriving between The Big Sleep and The Thing from Another World. John Wayne plays Dunson, with Montgomery Clift as Matthew, and Joanne Dru, Walter Brennan, Coleen Gray and Harry Carey among the cast. The production cost about 3 million dollars and took roughly 6 million worldwide.

On IMDb the film holds 7.7 out of 10 from around 38,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7.3 from a much smaller base of 617 votes, suggesting a strong and fairly settled reputation among general viewers. A critics' rating of 9 out of 10 from 32 reviews places it higher still.