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High Noon, best western ever? Pres Clinton's favorite film

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Superb movie. Gary Cooper, the marshal, retires, marries Ingrid Bergman, and heads out of town, but a murderer he put away is coming on the noon train gunning for him.

Cooper decides he cannot run, for the murderer will follow, so returns to town and attempts to round up a possie. One by one, starting with his wife, then his deputy, his friends and associates, even his former squeeze, all leave him.

His former deputy attempts to force Cooper to leave town. Do you know why?

He goes to church and one of the members pulls a real mind job on him, explaining that saying and fighting is the wrong thing to do for the town, regardless of the outcome.

Eventually he is left alone to face the murderer and his three henchmen. Plot description stops here.

I was really disappointed with Cooper's acting at the beginning of the movie, as he married Bergman. He seemed really stiff and almost distracted. Then, listening to the commentary track, it seems Cooper had a bad back and it was really bothering him that day, and he had to lift the lovely Bergman several times. He literally was stiff and the pain distracted him.

He starts with a brave face and a bit of a swagger, but as his associates betray him one by one, you can see the creeping fear and doubt slip into the cracks of his resolve. Masterful acting. A friend turns him down for one excuse or another, and you can see the emotions and thoughts surge across Cooper's face. I HATE HOW DIRECTORS DON'T DO THIS ANY MORE IN HOLLYWOOD. Subtle attention to details is a lost art among the blockbusters, how sad.

Marvelous direction. Much of the story can only be known by watching for longing looks, smiles, stares, and backs turned. Even the street signs provide hints. Top notch.

The climax was great, though way understated by today's standards. No nuclear explosions, no flaming cars flung into airborne helicopters, and no, Darth wasn't his father.

The final scene seemed a bit rushed. I would have liked to see more.

We'll have to agree to disagree about human caused global warming until the next global cooling scare comes along.

Follow Ups:

A bad posse often makes for a great western. - J.R. 20:01:08 08/31/08 (0)
"Chato's Land," with Charles Bronson, Jack Palance, and James Whitmore.
And of course, "The Wild Bunch." Regards,

J.R.
Good movie, but not one of my favorites. - Harmonia 16:16:31 08/30/08 (5)
A good movie, and considered a classic by many, it doesn't rank with The Searchers, My Darling Clementine or several others in my personal pantheon. It's always seemed over-contrived to me.

Lots of people love it though.
- RE: Good movie, but not one of my favorites. - patrickU 13:09:31 08/31/08 (0)
  Yes.
  " Mieux vaut une t�te bien faite qu'une t�te bien pleine."
- Me too...No one filmed a Western like Ford - DWPC 18:50:38 08/30/08 (0)
  "The Searchers" was cinematic poetry.
  
  As the guy who jumped off the 20-story building shouted as he passed the 10th Floor "So far..so good!"
  - A few here from the master's eye (Open in New Window)
- It, and "Shane," portray courage in primal colors unmatched by other Westerns. - tinear 18:07:04 08/30/08 (2)
  That's why both are "classics," and always mentioned among the very best of the genre.
  - RE: It, and "Shane," portray courage in primal colors unmatched by other Westerns. - Tom Brennan 18:35:21 08/30/08 (1)
    "That's why both are "classics," and always mentioned among the very best of the genre."
    
    Always? Yer throwing a pretty wide loop there pard.
    
    I know quite a few western fans who think little of either and think about them even less.
    
    At least Shane had Ben Johnson and John Dierkes.
    - You forgot Jack Palance. Nationally known critics, I meant, too, not - tinear 21:06:52 08/30/08 (0)
      amateurs like us.
RE: High Noon, best western ever? Pres Clinton's favorite film - Tom Brennan 12:22:41 08/30/08 (1)
I dislike the picture, it just doesn't make sense. Cooper could'a just bushwhacked the guys waiting for Miller and then Miller too.
Plus western people of the time were ready, willing and able to take on outlaws, look what happened to the James-Younger Gang in Northfield Minnesota and the Dalton Gang in Coffeyville Kansas----they were shot to bits by the townspeople.
It's said that Howard Hawks disliked High Noon so much he made Rio Bravo (one of the best Westerns IMO) as a response.

Edits: 08/30/08
- I agree, Rio Bravo is a much better film. I'm a Cooper - Wendell Narrod 12:55:37 08/30/08 (0)
  fan but this movie never did it for me. The main character's actions just didn't make any sense and the pacing was so slow.
  
  -Wendell
His wife is played by Grace Kelly, not Bergman... - C.B. 06:27:27 08/30/08 (2)
and I always thought that the age discrepancy between her and Cooper (he was probably old enough to be her grandfather) was a bit unbelievable.

Great film, otherwise.
- Age discrepancy? In "real life" she married a geezer, too, and he was no Gary Cooper! nth - tinear 07:50:57 08/30/08 (1)
  b
  - Wasn't the Prince in his 30s when he married Grace? - Wendell Narrod 12:53:22 08/30/08 (0)
    NT
    -Wendell
Have not seen it in years - Mike K 05:21:33 08/30/08 (0)
and don't really remember it, but will have to rent it and watch again.
Thanks for the recommend.

My long time favorite for best western in The Wild Bunch, and a current
favorite is The Proposition.

Mike

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