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5.1/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Dawn Rider remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old-school black-and-white westerns where the plot is written on the back of a napkin, you'll have a blast. If you need complex character studies or modern pacing, stay away. This is for the folks who want to see John Wayne in his early days, moving fast and shooting straight. 🐎
The whole thing starts with such a jolt. John Wayne arrives, his father is dead in a blink, and suddenly he's got a bullet in him. It’s not interested in mourning. It’s interested in moving to the next shootout.
The movie is incredibly short, which is its greatest strength. There’s no bloat. You can tell they were trying to squeeze every bit of daylight out of the schedule. Sometimes the dialogue feels like it was written five minutes before they started rolling. But who cares?
There is this moment where the jealous suitor just keeps hovering in the background of the shots. It’s weirdly distracting. Like, go home, buddy. You aren't winning this one.
You can tell when it’s the stunt doubles doing the work. They are flying off horses like they’re made of rubber. Yakima Canutt is all over this thing. You don't get that kind of raw, dangerous energy in movies anymore.
I found myself rewinding just to see how they managed to trip the horses without hurting them. It’s rough stuff. It makes Reform Girl look like a tea party in terms of intensity.
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s a B-movie western that knows exactly what it is. If you're tired of overproduced junk, this is a nice palate cleanser. Just don't look too hard at the continuity, because it vanishes about halfway through. 🤠