The best westerns always undercut their own myths, and few are
more gorgeously conflicted than Red River. The final entry
in a little series on Howard Hawks at the Metro, the film stars John
Wayne as a Texas rancher with the kind of virile ambition that
crosses the line into mania. Meanwhile, his adopted son
Montgomery Clift and another young ranch hand fondle each other’s
guns as seasoned observers predict they’re destined to “tangle.”
Hot. (Metro, 4500 Ninth Ave NE, 781-5755. 6:45
and 9:15 pm, $8.25–$9.25.)

Annie Wagner is The Stranger's former film editor. She was born and raised in Capitol Hill, but has since lived in such far-flung locales as Phoenix, AZ, Charlottesville, VA, and Wedgwood. After graduating...