Red River (Bfi Film Classics)

Rating:
Summary: A Disappointment
Review: The short review: Do not buy this book.

The long review: If you hope to find an analysis and some real inside information on this classic western, you will be severely disappointed. Not only does it lack the kind of critical thinking about what makes this a classic, but also it commits the most serious kind of error - it gets the facts wrong. Did Ms. Liandrat-Guigues watch the same movie I did? She states twice that Dunson "murdered" the Mexican gunman. I believe, even in France, that Dunson would have been allowed to shoot in self-defense. It is clear from watching the movie that the Mexican is shown drawing his pistol, then Dunson is shown drawing his pistol and killing him. Which gives rise to another clear factual error - She states that Dunson kills Cherry Valence. I believe if she had bothered to watch the movie, she would see that Dunson shoots Cherry, but that Valence is still looking at Dunson as he walks off.

There is no evidence of any real research for this "essay" as she calls it and certainly no interesting "inside" information. For an example of how a movie analysis should be written, I highly recommend the BFI Film Classic for Shane.

Rating:
Summary: A Disappointment
Review: The short review: Do not buy this book.

The long review: If you hope to find an analysis and some real inside information on this classic western, you will be severely disappointed. Not only does it lack the kind of critical thinking about what makes this a classic, but also it commits the most serious kind of error - it gets the facts wrong. Did Ms. Liandrat-Guigues watch the same movie I did? She states twice that Dunson "murdered" the Mexican gunman. I believe, even in France, that Dunson would have been allowed to shoot in self-defense. It is clear from watching the movie that the Mexican is shown drawing his pistol, then Dunson is shown drawing his pistol and killing him. Which gives rise to another clear factual error - She states that Dunson kills Cherry Valence. I believe if she had bothered to watch the movie, she would see that Dunson shoots Cherry, but that Valence is still looking at Dunson as he walks off.

There is no evidence of any real research for this "essay" as she calls it and certainly no interesting "inside" information. For an example of how a movie analysis should be written, I highly recommend the BFI Film Classic for Shane.