El Dorado (1966)
Of the few Howard Hawks westerns I have seen, this is now my favorite. His style is usually more romantic and classic in its portrayal of the west, compared to Ford’s sometimes a bit bleaker. However here I think it comes well together with a well paced script that had my attention from the start. The first 20 minutes establishes all you need to know about the conflict, the unfortunate misunderstanding and where each character stands with how they deal with that situation. Things gets resolved in a mature manner afterwards, but of course everything isn’t completely settled yet. The actual conflict the plot is centered around isn’t that important in the end, but a great way for every character to get some redemption for their previous mistakes. I have come to like John Wayne in his late career films, he seems more mature and relaxed in his role.
Rating: 3.5