[6] An uncredited rewrite of the script was provided by Dean Riesner, screenwriter of other Eastwood projects. Edit, American screenwriter Ernest Tidyman wrote the screenplay for High Plains Drifter and followed it up with a 1973 novelization of the film. attempting to shoot the Stranger in the back after he's killed all the gunmen is remarkably similar to the remaining Rojo brother trying to shoot The Man With No Name in the back after he's killed everybody else in. The supporting cast is all of humanity. Eastwood could finally say goodbye to the small screen once and for all. By creating an account, you agree to the with updates on movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more. "[16], Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times called it "a stylized, allegorical western of much chillingly paranoid atmosphere and considerable sardonic humor that confirms Eastwood's directorial flair. Why Does Bruce Willis Make Movies He Hates? Whats most notable is how Eastwood holds fast to the rebel spirit of the spaghetti Westerns and revisionist New Hollywood Westerns of the previous decade, but packages it in a film thats slicker and more mainstream-friendly. That being said, we never see any miners. The character of Marshal Duncan was played by Buddy Van Horn, Eastwood's long-time stunt double, to suggest that he and the Stranger could be the same person. Cookie Notice Edit, This is purposely left ambiguous to give it an almost supernatural feel, but the theories put forth are as follows: (1) The stranger is Marshal Jim Duncan's brother who learned that the three men who killed his brother were being released from prison and would likely return to their town, so the stranger "passed through" in order to take revenge on the three men and on the town itself for simply standing by and watching as his brother was brutally murdered. The Clint Eastwood 3- Movie Western Collection on Blu-ray is the perfect Father's Day gift that features the Academy Award winning actor in 3 iconic roles. It is gradually revealed that the townspeople hired the outlaws to murder Duncan when he discovered that the local gold mine was illegally dug on government-owned land and would have to be closed, destroying the town's livelihood. Well, the big difference with this particular "man with no name" character is that no one dubs Eastwood in Italian, and there is way more weird stuff surrounding him then there ever was in a Sergio Leone western. High Plains Drifter. on Twitter: "@dirtyracoon25 @JFowlerESPN Nah he High Plains Drifter is Western star Clint Eastwoods first attempt at directing one of his own westerns. And High Plains Drifter is wall to wall with killing (not to mention some pretty un-P.C. Think of the miners as working in the mines and therefore unseen during the day. The Stranger replies, "Yes, you do." After scouting locations alone in a pickup truck in Oregon, Nevada and California,[6] he settled on the "highly photogenic" Mono Lake area. But Eastwood has always been cagier about interpreting his film, saying that that interpretation might be true, but its also possible that the Stranger is Duncans avenging brother. Edit, It appears to have been cut at around 45 minutes into the film, when someone yells, "What the you doin' to my father's house?" Amid shoot-outs and existentialism, a stranger is hired to protect a town from outlaws -- but his recipe for defense could be a deal with the devil. Clint Eastwood and John Wayne's Confusing Feud Explained It turned out that Eastwood was a natural born director, albeit a different breed of one. Read our extensive list of rules for more information on other types of posts like fan-art and self-promotion, or message the moderators if you have any questions. He orders every building in town painted blood red. It's Me, Margaret. Here is a list of locations where High Plains Drifter is shot at, read on . Now, with those murderers just released from prison, they want Eastwoods Stranger to defend them. This, An astounding composition, that still reveals more of itself six decades after I first heard it. [8] The film was completed in six weeks, two days ahead of schedule, and under budget. This kind of uncertain pussyfooting around from us as the viewer is much like the townspeoples choice of not choosing a side when the poor man was being whipped. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No one looks good in the end. It adds to the argument that High Plains Drifter is a deconstruction of the myths of the old west. Coming Soon. Still from High Plains Drifter In Rabbinical literature, the angel of death, a creation of God on the first day, exacts slaughter, in the manner ordained by God, to restore the honour of mankind. He takes a room and decides to stay. Here its different though, and we see the cruel behaviour for what it is, even if some of the victims deserve retribution. By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story: Season 1. Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is Copyright 2009-2022, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Meanwhile, the best you can say for High Plains Drifter is that the title is a low pun. Book: Gentry, Ric . In High Plains Drifter, the Stranger is all but a Devil in a film brimming with nihilism; in Pale Rider, very much the positive to that film's negative, morals aren't quite so out of reach, and the Preacher is gradually revealed to be something of a Christ figure. This film just feels mean, and the nastiness all comes from the character of the stranger. After gunning down three desperado's who tried to kill him, the town hires the gunfighter to help defend the town from three murderous outlaws. Read critic reviews. Eastwood's direction is overambitious and undercooked at the same time, but when middleground is found, it's hard to deny the potential which has since gone on to be fulfilled more tightly by the talented filmmaker, who sells a fair bit offscreen here, though not as much as he does onscreen. This is even true for the DVD version. Edgar Wright talks about High Plains Drifter (1973) - Reddit You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. He later orders the hotel owners, Lewis and Sarah Belding, and all the other guests to vacate the premises, leaving him its sole occupant. 2004 . After being shot at by the town's three hired gunmen, the stranger shoots all three and then asks for a room for the night. The movie borrows heavily from Leones Once Upon a Time in the West and High Noon for its plot, as clearly the mysterious stranger has a beef with some of the dwellers in the town. The stranger was Marshal Jim Duncan himself come back to exact his revenge (perhaps through a deal with the devil.). The premise of the movie is basically this; (spoiler) Clint Eastwood plays a Marshall named Jim Duncan. There's always retribution for your deeds. Impressed by his abilities, the townsfolk hire him to protect the town, but start to second-guess their hire when he begins to take advantage of them. Zito, Tom (May 29, 1973). Copyright Fandango. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Here Eastwood takes advantage of what he has learned in the spaghetti western with a plot that is fully attached to the genre. Not just politically, but also stylistically. High Plains Drifter is a 1973 American Western film directed by Clint Eastwood, written by Ernest Tidyman, and produced by Robert Daley for The Malpaso Company and Universal Pictures. Ghost Images: Cinema of the Afterlife . The film stars Eastwood as a mysterious stranger who metes out justice in a corrupt frontier mining town. These people want protection, but theres no salvation for them. It made its Blu-ray debut on October 15, 2013, with a newly remastered transfer, and was reissued on October 27, 2020, by Kino Lorber with commentary tracks and new interviews. All we know is it is very difficult to side with him as a protagonist and as such we are left with an uneasy feel throughout the film from which we can only be unburdened after knowing just what he wants and why hes doing it but we never do, which is probably why I was left with such an uncomfortable feeling after the film was finished. The film stars Eastwood as a mysterious stranger who metes out justice in a corrupt frontier mining town. High Plains Drifter: Official Clip - Who Are You? Speaking about the composition, Hammett said he didn't set out to write a song based on the movie, but upon finishing it, he realized it "conveyed the same sentiment as the film, so the piece was christened accordingly."[23]. Please enter your birth date to watch this video: You are not allowed to view this material at this time. The residents of Lago at first view the stranger with suspicion, but when news that some outlaws that are out for blood are on their way to town, they ask the stranger for his help. But he has a score of his own to settle. It's also a pretty violent business that won't disappoint the millions who flocked to the Leone westerns. The image is an example of a ticket confirmation email that AMC sent you when you purchased your ticket. New York . We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Drifter is lauded as being one of the very first revisionist westerns as opposed to the classic traditional westerns. and our Kapsis; Coblentz, Kathie . One of my favorites from back in the day. High Plains Drifter is his spooky, dark, and vicious version of the Sergio Leone Man With No Name Spaghetti Westerns he once starred in, and a moody existential meditation on gunplay, revenge and karma. It's the story of a mysterious, crack-shot out-of-towner paid handsomely to protect an idyllic California . Westerns often have mysterious, strong silent protagonists but high plains drifter might have gone as far as to have the stranger be some kind of spectre or ghost, sent to the town to punish them for their sins. []. "[10] The graveyard set featured in the film's final scene included tombstones inscribed "Sergio Leone" and "Don Siegel" as a humorous tribute to the two influential directors. You said we don't have a receiver another team would take. Belding, aiming a shotgun at the Stranger's back, is shot dead by Mordecai. The result is one of the best Westerns of the 1970s. Returning to Lago, the Stranger inspects the preparationsthe entire town painted red, armed men on rooftops, picnic tables laden with food and drink, and a big "WELCOME HOME BOYS" bannerthen he silently departs again. Book: Cornell, Drucilla . Too bad, this movie is better than 95 percent of John Wayne's movies. But the three worst the town ever saw, which they were hired to check, are being released from jail. He looks like the tight-lipped, cigar-chewing sharpshooter of Hang 'Em High or Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy, and on paper High Plains Drifter certainly reads like your typical Clint Eastwood western. Starring: Clint Eastwood, Verna Bloom, Marianna Hill Belding, aiming a shotgun at the Stranger's back, is shot dead by Mordecai.The next morning as the Stranger rides past Mordecai in the cemetery. Meanwhile, the best you can say for High Plains Drifter is that the title is a low pun. [21], High Plains Drifter was first released on DVD by Universal Studios Home Video on February 24, 1998. That fact that we cant identify with the silent mysterious main character like we usually do during westerns puts us more into the shoes of the agitated townsfolk, which was a nice twist. (2) The stranger was Marshal Jim Duncan himself come back to exact his revenge (perhaps through a deal with the devil.). After having sex with him in his room, Callie slips out as three men enter. Apr 19, 1973 This content is imported from youTube. The Easter, In the afternoon of April 13th I spent six hours re-familiarizing myself with Killarney, in the southeast of the city. It is the first Western film that he both directed and starred in. [13], Vincent Canby of The New York Times called the film "part ghost story, part revenge Western, more than a little silly, and often quite entertaining in a way that may make you wonder if you lost your good sense. As they unknowingly beat a dummy in the bed, the Stranger tosses a stick of dynamite into the room, destroying most of the hotel, then shoots two of his attackers dead, as Morgan flees wounded. 'High Plains Drifter' Is Clint Eastwood's Mysterious, Overlooked Masterpiece, Scan this QR code to download the app now. [10] The Italian, Spanish, French and German dubbings restored it. At any rate, Ted Nugent fits better here, because you know that there is going to be some serious hard rocking when Clint Eastwood takes on this role, and I specifically mean "this" role. Bach, Cantata 6, at the Second Day of Easter Light and Darkness of Existence, The Ferryman's Obolus Mahler and Freud Meet in Leiden II:III, J.S. The film was well received by many critics, and rates 94% positive on Rotten Tomatoes based on 32 reviews. By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and The inclusion of the sexually immoral, who, in the film, consort with the murderer, would explain the rape scene that occurs so suddenly after the beginning of the story.
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