El Dorado

El Dorado is one of my all-time favourites. This movie oozes confidence, and is completely satisfying. Critics favour its predecessor, Rio Bravo, a more stylish and operatic effort from Hawks and Wayne, but for pure entertainment you can't beat Eldorado.

The story is one of friendship. John Wayne risks his life to return to El Dorado and help an old friend who is down on his luck. That old friend, Robert Mitchum, happens to be the sheriff-too drunk to realize that a gang of thugs is on its way into town to take advantage of a law-less town. Along the way Wayne meets a new friend, a young James Caan, who is notable for his peculiar hat and complete ineptitude with a firearm. Wayne isn't impressed at first, but evetually succombs to Caan's suprising intelligence and whimsical charm.

John Wayne is ridiculously old to be playing an action hero, but like Sean Connery today, it just doesn't seem to matter. A bullet in the spine helps explain the slow legs, and the undeniable fact that he is John Wayne helps explain the lightning-quick trigger finger. Hawks' characteristic avoidance of close-ups helps disguise the wrinkled face, and Wayne's energetic performance seals our suspension of disbelief.

Robert Mitchum delivers one of his finest performances as a heartbroken, drunken sheriff, fighting to regain his credibility. Mitchum steals the film with his irresistable presence and masterful comedic timing. He has the face of a man who has greeted every morning of his life with a hangover, which of course didn't require much acting from Mr. Mitchum, notorious for his deep hatred of early-morning shoots.

A strikingly young James Caan is also a joy to watch, convincing the characters around him that he's the kind of man capable of reciting poetry and throwing knives with equal efficiency. It's a pleasant surprise to see Caan playing something other than a 'heavy,' although his back is as hairy as ever.

El Dorado is perhaps the last of the great traditional westerns, untouched by the influence of the Spaghetti western. It's greatest strength is it's humour, becoming a dominant force in the script as it pushes on past the two-hour mark. The laughs keep us interested, keep us engaged with the characters, and keep us from checking our watch.

In a way this film reminds me of To Catch a Thief, one of those completely entertaining caper films from Hitchcock. Hitch, Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, and all the supporting cast are so comfortable in their roles that the film seems to simply appear out of thin air with a snap of the fingers. Of course achieving this sensation is far from simple: it is in fact the sign of true masters at work. Confidence is a powerful tool, and when Howard Hawks, John Wayne, and Robert Mitchum join forces with a strong script, just like Hitchcock, the result is pure magic.

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