River of No Return-1954
Director Otto Preminger
Starring Robert Mitchum, Marilyn Monroe
Scott’s Review #385
Reviewed March 15, 2016
Grade: B-
A departure in genre and character from the iconic Marilyn Monroe, most notable for playing “bubble gum” roles, in the 1954 film River of No Return, she plays a dance hall singer living in 1875 northwestern United States.
The film is in the Western genre and features gorgeous scenery, some authentic and some staged. The look of the film is a great selling point for me, as is Monroe’s performance and appeal.
However, the story has significant negatives, mainly that it is not very compelling or engaging, not to mention existing plot holes.
The crux of the story is as follows- A widower, Matt Calder (Robert Mitchum), arrives in a tent city in pursuit of his ten-year-old son, Mark, left in the care of Kay (Monroe), while the man who delivered the boy to the town has taken off for the hills.
What follows is a mishmash of the storyline involving Matt, Mark, and Kay being chased by Indians, a love triangle between Kay, Matt, and Kay’s fiancé Harry, and the father/son reconciliation between Matt and Mark.
The story is not the strong point of the film. Nevertheless, it is undoubtedly where the high drama exists. Despite being characterized as a Western, a stark contrast to most Marilyn Monroe films, it appears a soft Western with a romantic slant.
There are some kills, to be sure, with vicious wild animals, guns, and knives prevalent, giving it an outdoorsy, naturalistic feel.
The film lacks a streamlined direction and does not know where it’s headed. Is it intended to be an all-out Western, a romance, or some hybrid? Why does the story ultimately not work?
I sensed a snippet of chemistry between Mitchum and Monroe, though they were hardly Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh. One could argue that Matt does not treat Kay very well, and, surprisingly, Matt is portrayed as the hero in River of No Return.
Close to the middle of the film, while camping along the river, he attempts to rape Kay, where she struggles and ultimately submits. Then, almost as quickly, this fact is forgotten, and the story forages forward as a love story. Huh?
The film almost seems spliced together from a story perspective and is not compelling or memorable.
As an aside, and upon some research, River of No Return was riddled with problems and setbacks amid shooting, most notably drama due to Monroe’s needed on-set acting coach who conflicted with director Otto Preminger and star Robert Mitchum’s heavy drinking.
Then, there was Monroe’s broken ankle and numerous weather issues. Publicly, Monroe later stated that River of No Return was her least favorite film that she appeared in. Let’s say that the gods were not with this film.
River of No Return is undoubtedly an uneven film with a lackluster story and odd chemistry among the characters, which has a marginal appeal to me, mainly due to the talents of Monroe, who carries the weight of an otherwise lackluster and forgettable film.
