Rawhide - Season 2: Vol. 2 DVD Credits:

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Rawhide - Season 2: Vol. 2 DVD Release Date: 18th December 2007

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Rawhide - Season 2: Vol. 2 DVD Review:

More often than not, Rawhide (1960) is remembered as the show that started the long and illustrious career of Clint Eastwood. After all, his appearance in this Western-themed show would eventually lead to his participation in the classic Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns as The Man With No Name. From there he would start directing and then eventually become the Academy Award winning talent that he is today. However, it’s a shame that Clint Eastwood’s presence overshadows the rest of Rawhide’s attributes, because it’s a very successful show in its own right, as illustrated by this release of Rawhide: Season 2 – Volume 2.

This DVD collection gathers together the latter sixteen episodes of the thirty-two that make up Season 2. You may ask why all of the episodes in the second season don’t come in one self-contained package, and the only answer I can come up with is that studios are trying to squeeze more money out of the fans by spreading out a season over two DVD sets. It’s becoming more and more common for studios to do this, and it’s getting a bit tiresome.

However, the marketing choices made by the studio don’t negate the quality of the actual show. Rawhide was always a fan favorite for those interested in the Western genre (and those old enough to have seen the show), and even today it is still a standout in the genre, with excellent direction, writing, and acting.

The series as a whole revolves around the cattle drives of the old west, but that simple premise leaves plenty of room for the writers to come up with tons of interesting stories, episode after episode. What’s fascinating about Rawhide is the fact that it transcends its Western roots to become a full-fledged drama, and even social commentary at times. It’s not all guns and hollering in this show, as there is actually a tremendous amount of character development and depth of emotion over the span of even half a season. The episodes themselves have entirely self-contained stories, but there is an over-flowing arc for the interrelationships between the different characters across the season.

The show is always well photographed, and oftentimes the cinematography is quite stunning. Long shots of the range show the beauty of the surrounding area, and the countless cattle and horses running around provide an epic scope that belies the lower budget of television shows of the time like Rawhide.

The theme song for Rawhide is so engrained in the cultural lexicon that I already knew it before ever watching the show and didn’t even realize it. It’s a classic western tune that most will probably recognize, and hearing it at the start of every episode ingratiates viewers to Rawhide’s trademark charm.

Despite the high quality of the show in general, not every element has aged entirely well. There are a couple of cowboy/western stereotypes that come across as a bit naïve today (especially regarding “Cowboys and Indians”), but that’s because they were. After all, clichés have to come from somewhere, and a lot of them probably originated on shows like Rawhide. It’s not a large complaint by any means, but still worth mentioning.

The larger complaint can be railed against this DVD release for having a complete lack of extras. With the season already being split in half, one would hope for a decent amount of special features to make up for the transgression, but no such luck.

Rawhide may look like a stereotypical western on the surface, but it actually has a lot more going on underneath in terms of plotting, themes, and characterization, which is what makes it a classic of the western genre that has stood the test of time. Even if you’re not a fan of westerns I would suggest giving it a look, if not for all the strength behind the camera, then for Clint Eastwood and a fine ensemble cast of actors in front of it. And remember: Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’, keep movin’ movin’ movin’.

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Rawhide - Season 2: Vol. 2 DVD review written by: Anthony Berk