Rating: 
Summary: Hell is a town named Lago...
Review: "High Plains Drifter" was only Clint Eastwood's second directorial effort, but already we can see that a master is at work, and if that wasn't enough, he also stared in, and produced the film, through his own "Malpaso" company. The film is very straightforward, at least on the surface. The small, isolated coastal town of Lago doesn't much take to strangers, rather like the desert town in Spencer Tracy's "Bad Day At Black Rock," and for a similar reason; Lago hides dark and dismal secrets that have damned it's residents to a living Hell. Then one day, from out of the desert's shimmering heat-haze, rides "The Stranger," and as it says on the jacket, "They'll never forget the day he drifted into town."The Stranger, nameless and taciturn, is an obvious twist on the "Man With No Name," but taken here to it's logical extreme; Eastwood has given us, in the character of The Stranger, a figure that is undoubtedly one of the most brutally amoral anti-heroes in film history. With a running time of only 84 minutes, Eastwood doesn't waste a minute of that screen-time in getting the story into high gear. Starting with an eerily atmospheric, deceptively calm, opening sequence, The Stranger arrives in Lago. Within minutes he has gunned down 3 thugs who baited and goaded him, thinking they had an easy mark, and in the films most controversial scene, 'rapes' a woman he meets in the street! I said that "High Plains Drifter" was a straightforward film, at least on the surface, but to truly understand the actions of The Stranger you have to look beyond the obvious. "High Plains Drifter" plays as a revenger, but it's more than that, it's a psychological western, and one, I think, that stands alongside Brando's "One Eyed Jacks;" The Stranger is as a mirror to the rotten and corrupted soul of Lago. The town is fearfully awaiting the arrival of three ghosts from its past, convicted killers who were set up and imprisoned on trumped-up charges; soon to be released, their first order of business will be to head back to Lago and extract their pound of flesh from each and every one of the people who betrayed them. And that brings us full-circle, the thugs The Stranger gunned down were hired by the town to protect them from the returning killers! Most of the townspeople, but especially the mayor and his cronies, are hypocrites and gutless cowards, both morally and physically; unable to live with their past actions, they use weasel words and spurious justifications to salve their collective conscience, and in doing so, Lago itself becomes their prison. After witnessing the speed and accuracy of The Stranger, they beg him to stay and protect them. At first he's not interested, 'til they offer him "anything," an "open check," for his services... he takes them at their word. 3 pairs of hand-tooled boots, a gun belt, a silver-tooled saddle, unlimited gut-rot, beer, and cigars later, The Stranger tells them he won't do their dirty work for them, but he'll teach them how to do it for themselves. I said that you have to look beyond the obvious to understand the actions of The Stranger. While in the store he gives two jars of candy and a stack of blankets to an old Indian and his grandchildren, not out of any act of kindness towards them, but because he knows it'll upset the racist store owner. Similarly he watches as the boot-maker delightedly calculates his check for the boots etc, only to smile as the man is told it's all free of charge, the bar owner is overjoyed as The Stranger buys him a cigar and orders a round for everyone, only to be crushed by the same news. He then humiliates the mayor and sheriff in front of the whole town by giving their positions to the town joke, a midget named Mordecai. And that brings us to the 'rape' scene that has upset so many people. As I said, The Stranger is a mirror to the towns rotten soul; it's blatantly obvious that the woman wants this powerful and masculine man, but on HER terms, well, she gets what she wants, but on HIS terms. In fact the only character that manages to surprise The Stranger is the Preacher, who shows, in one cynically comical scene, that he's quite capable of serving God and mammon both! An ambush of the killers is planned, and as a final act of degradation, The Stranger has the residents paint the whole town red, renames it "Hell," and sets up a "Welcome Home Boys" street party for the returning killers... needless to say, they return to one HELL of a party! "High Plains Drifter" is a wonderful film that works on many different levels; watch it for the fun in seeing The Stranger blowing away the bad guys and humiliating the craven townspeople, or delve deep inside the character of The Stranger and see just how far "revenge" can be taken... HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Rating:
Summary: Clint said he played the bereaved brother
Review: A powerfully moving film, directed and acted with subtlety. The story engages the viewer from the beginning to the end, and this is not a story easily forgotten. One comment, a previous reviewer asserted with certainty the stranger was the ghost of the marshall, but Clint Eastwood himself has said this is not so. On his official website he is quoted as saying "In High Plains Drifter he is the bereaved brother who comes back and persecutes the people for their apathy or corruption."
Rating: 
Summary: Don't dare !
Review: There is nothing good about this film , it's just a gruesome presentation of most sorts of violence known to man - brought to the extreme : Verbal assaults , severe human and animal abuse , theft , rape , murder - this film has it all . In his first shot at directing and starring a Western , Eastwood seemed to have wanted to rise above his previous releases in which he had only starred . The result is terrible ; he took all the memorable nuances the viewers had loved to watch in older westerns and turned them upside down . One cannot find even one decent , not to say admirable character - all the major players are evil and wicked in one way or the other . Furthermore , the concept the movie is based upon is vague and unclear most of the time - it is not understood why things happened the way they did in the past , and why exactely things are so wrong in the present . Even when there are action scenes they are empty , unsatisfying and useless . Those facts leave the viewer hung up and totally frustrated . Ultimately , there is not a single benefit that can be earned out of watching this movie . If you like the usual Eastwood performances - this is the one to skip . You will have to trust me for this one . Seeing only the rape scene Eastwood takes part in , or more accurately commits on his own , is a degradation of the entire art of filmmaking . I know the cinematic era back then was one of brutal violence in some cases ("Straw Dogs" and the other Pekinpah alikes), and it was quite popular , but seeing it today really makes the watcher sick . It's too blatant , too offensive , too cruel , too gory , too disgusting - too much - to see rapes that become divine pleasure for the woman after she gets used to it ! To watch midget abuse , mass murders for nothing , to witness hell on earth - for what ? The only missing act of violence is child abuse . Thanks god he spared us from this one . The worst part is that all the violence is for nothing . There is no redeeming in this movie , and absolutely no redemption . In the end I realized that maybe everything was done to satiate the hunger of the crowd for blood . In all - Don't , Don't , Don't . I managed to see it through only to deliver a community service , as an eye witness who bared the atrocity in order to warn the rest of the camp from the hurt feelings and the complete waste of time
Rating:
Summary: Existential and Exhilarating, a great Western.
Review: Several readers comment on the existential qualities of this movie, and they are right on. The Stranger, the character Eastwood portrays, is really something of a Nietzschen superman. He acquires this role because he possesses the attributes that the denizens of Lagos revere: courage and a quick draw. As a superman, the Stranger is able to impose his ideas and morality (or lack thereof) on Lagos. His vision--to use Nietzsche's term--for Lagos involves painting the town red, teaching the men to use guns and turning the town into a Hell for those who wronged it in the past and dare to return. This vision is scary to watch unfold, especially since the townspeople put up so little resistance considering the magnitude of the Stranger's demands. It is astonishing that the superman can so easily win over and conquer the women, religious figures and political figures of the town, thus underscoring Nietzsche's point that most people are timid and can easily be crushed and proselytized by a superman.
Aside from this (probably unintentional) philosophical motif, High Plains Drifer is just plain fun to watch. Eastwood is the director, and is brilliant in the familiar role of the Stranger with No Name. The scenes in the barber's office, bar and country store are classic. In addition, the finale is dark, dramatic and demonic. Two minor flaws are worth pointing out, although they in no way detract from the experience of viewing the film. The first flaw is the confusion set up about whether the Stranger is the ghost of the slain U.S. Marshall. The movie implies--toward the very end--that the Stranger IS the ghost of the Marshall, because the Marshall's grave is open at the conclusion of the film, as if the Stranger were returning to it. Also, the Stranger has recurring visions of the Marshall being whipped, as if the Stranger has been through the experience himself. This seems to contradict the fact that the whipped Marshall looks nothing like the Stranger, and that no one in the town recognizes the Stranger, when you expect they would recognize him, if he had been through the town. I call this contradiction a flaw because it is irritating. It is impossible for the Stranger to both be and not be the ghost of the U.S. Marshall, which is what the movie leads one to believe.
The other flaw is the fact that Lagos was so blatantly thrown together in one week. Half of the buildings in the town look like they would blow over if a child kicked them. In the West, miner's towns may have been constructed quickly, but I doubt that any old Western towns contained such a high percentage of rickety structures.
Despite these (small) flaws, High Plains Drifter should rank as one of the best Westerns ever made. It is dark as sable cloth, but is also exciting and dramatic. A great movie that all existentialists, Eastwood fans or Western buffs should be familiar with.
Rating:
Summary: It's not what you think
Review: Clint Eastwood revisits the genre that made him a star in High Plains Drifter, and as in most of his previous westerns he plays a mysterious, nameless stranger.
What's immediately interesting about this particular take on the character is his apparent amorality. Before the first act closes he kills three men and rapes a woman - all done with a disturbingly casual intensity. Not exactly the kind of guy you want to find yourself rooting for.
The film unfolds wonderfully, moving effortlessly between dark drama and self-conscious satire of western film conventions. The action is periodically interspersed with some very creepy fever dreams...
Rating: 
Summary: Eastwood can act and direct and it shows here
Review: Tale of mysterious stranger who rides into town to avenge past sins of mini-boom town located in isolated california of the old american West. One liners, desolate locale and an impending finale, add up to a fast paced film. A bit satirical at times, Clint's almost supernatural confidence in the face of the townsfolk's complete (almost) hostility is simply fun to watch. I personally liked the scene where Clint handed the Indian kids 2 huge bottles of candy, it was hilarious! Get ready for the avenging angel, delivering a personal message from the Master himself, to those who killed his charge. great movie!
Rating:
Summary: CLINT'S BEST
Review: A mysterious stranger (Eastwood) arrives in the desolated desert town of Lago in the 1870's. The silent drifter arouses instant suspicion and uneasiness among the populace. Almost immediately upon his arrival, he is harrassed and goaded into a gunfight by three bullies. The stranger astonishes everyone by outdrawing them and killing them without showing any emotion. The only clue to this man's past is a recurring nightmare that haunts the stranger as he sleeps in the town hotel. The gruesome dream depicts a helpless man who is whipped to death by three shrouded men, while a cowardly crowd of citizens refuses to help......... Part ghost story, part revenge western, more than a little silly, nonetheless, Eastwood the director gave notice of a solid and exciting talent; he emerged as a genuinely talented filmmaker.
Rating:
Summary: Best western ever made
Review: John Wayne told Clint Eastwood he hated High Plains Drifter. You can't get a better endorsement than that. Wayne called the movie "unamerican." I say that's (...). The entire movie is totally in support of the American ethos: Undermine the establishment, turn the tables as an outsider and get revenge. The stuff this great country was made of. Some of the best one liners ever delivered too, my favorite, "Here's to your feet mam, they're almost as big as your mouth." Westerns don't get better than this. Even film fans who aren't big fans of westerns (which I'm not) can't help but get drawn into this cool-guy-screws-over-the-hicks opus. Form up the Lago Volunteers and ride on.
Your most humble and loyal servant,
Dixonator
Fort Pierce, Florida
Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: I can't believe that this is a 30 year old movie!! It's just unbelievable. You better watch it or you'll miss all the fun!!
Rating:
Summary: Not your typical Western...
Review: I typically hate Westerns. I usually find them incredibly boring. I've seen the old ones (Shane) and the newer ones (Unforgiven). I even managed to sit through The Outlaw Josey Wales because of all the hype I'd heard about it since I was a kid. Boring. High Plains Drifter is different; it's more than just a Western. I happened to channel surf to the opening credits when it was on TV years ago. I started watching it only half-heartedly, but to my surprise, I was quickly hooked. It's a very dark film with a somewhat confusing story at first, but that's what draws you in. In the end, it all comes together. Justice is served, both to the villians and the townspeople. If you see one Western, this is it.
|
