O'Neil pulls her gun out under the saloon table; the female characters are the ones who want revenge (i.e. Unforgiven) even tell The Duke off at the beginning.
"It's the system, Lara. People will be different after the Revolution."
A female Han Solo ...she shot first
Nee ta ma duh tyen-shia suo-yo duh run doh gai si
While watching Rio Lobo on TCM I went to this webpage to see who wrote the story and was pleasantly surprised to see science fiction writer Leigh Brackett as one of the screenwriters.
shareI see the quasi-feminist aspects as an obvious nod to the times. By 1970, the so called Womens Liberation Movement had received plenty of notoriety.
Of course, the women that engage in violence are gorgeous, super model types who also exhibit plenty of traditional "feminine" characteristics;coquettishness and weeping. Another example of filmmakers trying to have it both ways.
hammer4 succinctly said what I wanted to say. The writers of this film obviously wanted it both ways with regards to the women.
I don't mind badass women but when at the same time, they succumb to the flirting from the first good-looking man they meet like the damsel in distress trope, it's a jarring contradiction. Jennifer O'Neill played the most annoying female character I've come across in a long, long time.
I don't know about the neo-feminist part of the movie...but, I would submit the town of Rio Lobo has more good looking women proportionally than any town in the West..It seems to be able to become a resident of the town, you must 1st have had to be a supermodel in order to be a citizen..LOL..
shareNot sure it's feminism, more the evolution of the Hawksian woman. He always has tough, brave, fast talking female roles and this time he let them kill someone.
shareHe'd already done that four years prior in El Dorado where Joey killed Bart Jason.
Gotta hand to John Wayne, he was more than happy for a woman to kill the main man in a couple of his vehicles.
I liked Joey - even if she did bushwhack John Wayne - I'm sure they sowed those leathers on each morning.
share