‘Rio Bravo’: John Wayne as an Atypical Hero

Director Howard Hawks highlights the qualities that define a true leader of men: having morality, courage, and restraint.

Sheriff John Chance (John Wayne) defines true leadership, in “Rio Bravo.”

NR | 2h 21min | Western | 1959

The film “Rio Bravo” is drawn loosely from a short story of the same name. It defines heroism as standing up for what’s right, but suggests that it takes more than one hero—and much more than a typical hero—to pull it off.