High Noon

Rating:
Summary: Watching High Noon and your own clock
Review: When my wife and I watched High Noon together about 25 years ago, something became obvious: The passage of time in the story corresponded almost one to one with real time on the clock in the real world. We found out later that a lot of other people noticed the same thing too.

I first saw this when it originally came out, and I rate it among my 10 top favorite films of all time. When I finally purchased and watched the DVD, I learned something with the help of Closed Captions. For years I thought one of the lines in the song was "Here in High Noon." That does not make sense grammatically unless High Noon is the name of the town. But with the captions, I found out that the line is "Nearin' High Noon."

Closed Captions are a minimum extra that we need to enhance our enjoyment of a film, regardless of how many times we have seen it before.

Rating:
Summary: Format for TV ruins viewing experience of a Hollywood gem
Review: No doubt about it, Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly gave us a legendary performance in a brilliantly realized film. This movie belongs in every casual fan or afficianado's collection.
Quite sadly Republic Entertainment produced the DVD in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio to fit your TV, instead of preserving the original theatrical aspect ratio (letterbox). The clipping off the edges of scenes or worse still the characters faces was distracting throughout the movie. Basically ruining an otherwise enjoyable movie experience. Personally I think releasing a DVD without at least the option of the original aspect ratio for any movie, let alone a Hollywood classic, should be a criminal offense. This is unforgivable. Shame.

If you have to satisfy your High Noon jones, rent it and return it. Don't waste your money or shelf space on a bad DVD release of an otherwise fine film. With any luck the movie will be re-released in the original format and then DVD would come highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: High Noon: One Of The Best Of All Time
Review: Gary Cooper is one of an handful of actors whose strong moral compass never fails to ring true. From his earliest films in the silent era right up till his last works, Gary Cooper continually shows the viewer some lessons right out of Acting 101. He makes it look so easy, how to radiate controlled fear while disguising it as bland bravery. In HIGH NOON, Cooper learns a brutal lesson that everyone in the film well knew. In a moment of crisis, you can't count on ordinary folk for help. Ironically, it is the evil ones who are made of the required stern stuff to face a six-gun.
When Cooper, who plays Marshall Will Kane, learns that a recently released from prison convict is returning to town to settle a grudge against him, Cooper tries to enlist the aid of anyone who can help. His friends, his deputy, even his wife fail to recognize the code that forms the bulk of his core. Just as his friends feel they cannot help him, Cooper is just as impelled to the opposite. By movie's end, he meets the bad guys, kills them, and then is stunned to realize that as this external battle has ended, a far more complex internal one is just beginning.
HIGH NOON stands out as a masterpiece, partly due to Cooper, but also to a fine supporting cast which acts as universal lightning rods to attract a swirling torrent of fear, from which not even Cooper is immune. Lon Chaney as the cowardly politician, LLoyd Bridges as the equally cowardly deputy, Katy Jurado as the Mexican woman who once loved Kane but has lost him to Grace Kelly all shine in roles that require them to walk a fine line between bouncing off Kane with just the right force to serve as a dramatic foil and yet not divert the audience's attention for too long as Kane sees who they are and what he must be.
HIGH NOON is no subtle exploration of the different essences that separate hero from villain from coward. This movie delineates in a starkness that matches the black and white filming the need for even a brave man to look within to find the strength that others routinely know is missing in them but take for granted in him.

Rating:
Summary: Gary Cooper shines!
Review: This is a pretty simple Western tale about a sheriff waiting for the bad guys to arrive on the noon train. The screenplay is of "B movie" quality, despite many big name hollywood stars and co-stars. What makes it special is Gary Cooper's acting. Gary Cooper rarely got great screenplays to work with, and this was no exception. But Cooper raises what could have been a mediocre Western to a four star gem.

Rating:
Summary: Ignore the Hype
Review: This is one of my favorite westerns and that is high praise since I normally do not like westerns, it takes a lot for a movie in the genre to impress me. An instant classic, in recent years this film has been maligned. From what I understand, most of the negative feeling is because the movie has been so hyped. It is unfair to hype a movie so much since it raises impossible expectations. I was fortunate enough to have somehow missed the hyping. (Odd, since I love old movies) So when I saw this movie at the rental store, I vaguely remembered hearing it was good so I got it.

The plot involves a lawman who will not leave town when he hears a killer he put in jail is released and will arrive on the noon train. His life falls apart, his friends abandon him, his wife leaves him but his honor will not allow him to leave. If this plot sounds cool, you will probably enjoy this movie. If not, you may want to try something else. You either accept the concept or you don't.

Watching the movie, several things impressed me.

First, I was impressed by Gary Cooper's acting. This was the first movie I ever saw him in and his anguish and nobility are just great. He richly deserved his oscar. The other standout is Katy Jurado as Cooper's old flame. While some racial bariers were coming down in the 50s, it was still very refreshing to see a Mexican character played by a Mexican actress in a movie of that time. She adds a note of authenticity to the movie that would not have been there otherwise and her performance is flawless.

Second, I enjoyed the fact that movie was black and white. Color films of the era were candy colored, almost too bright, which is fine for a comedy or a musical but kind of ruins historic movies for me.

Third, the suspense kept me glued to the screen until the last moment. And the ending was just great.

Whew! I guess I can see why so many critics hyped this movie! Well, don't let anyone else influence you. Try this movie out for yourself and draw your own conclusions.

Rating:
Summary: Do not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling.
Review: A good western, a better movie. This movie is different from a John Wayne movie. The heroe admits he's afraid. There's no Elmer Bernstein orchestra blaring the credit, just Merle Travis playing the guitar, Cliffie Stone on bass, while Tex Ritters sings. There's none of the John Ford's great scenery. The west looks desolate in this movie. And little action. That's a warning to all teens who think that something has to blow up every few minutes. This a Frank Capra western, except unlike "It's A Wonderful Life" where the friends come to rescue to hero, everyone forgets the heroe. Sure they talk about what a good man he is, but noone wants to help except a fourteen year old boy and a one eye man. Worse of all, as they train comes a running and the clock ticking, the Marshall has to worry about his Quaker wife deserting him. Great suspense! A train that will bring your sworn enemy to you and takes your love away from you.
It has a short documentary as an extra. It's a shame that an audio commentary couldn't be provided by the some living character actors. Also I wish they could have shown two scenes that were deleted from the film. Overall, the number #1 reason to buy this DVD, is for the movie itself with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly in her first major role.

Rating:
Summary: Recommended, but it's hard to go back to a 1952 mindset
Review: This 1952 western is a classic. It earned Gary Cooper and academy award and also won for best film editing, best song and best musical score. I was very young when I first saw it and I remember being impressed. And I don't think I can ever forget the song. Now, fifty years later, it's time to revisit it.

Well, one thing is clear. I still love the song. And it's no wonder that it's so memorable. It's performed over and over throughout the film. The words tell the whole story, simply and completely. The melody is haunting and a perfect background for the story, which also seems simple but deals with big themes - the struggle between good and evil, loyalty and betrayal, courage and cowardice and what it is to be a man.

Gary Cooper is cast in the role of the Sheriff, who has just wed his bride, Grace Kelly, and is giving up his badge because she is a Quaker. He's been a good sheriff, brought peace and prosperity to the town. But now, a man he had sent to jail five years previously has been pardoned instead of being hanged and has sworn to kill the sheriff. Now he's coming back to town on the noon train. There's tension in the air, especially since three of the killer's outlaw friends have just ridden into town. The film is shot in real time, as the audience experiences the ticking of the clock as the big hands move towards the inevitable showdown.

Of course there are complications. Grace Kelly refuses to support her new husband and buys a ticket on the train out of town. A young hotshot deputy, Lloyd Bridges, who is romancing Cooper's former girlfriend, brilliantly played by Katy Jurado, gets into a fistfight with him. But mostly, it's the townspeople who turn away from him in his hour of need and most of the film consists of Cooper going from barroom to church trying to enlist a posse to help him. Everyone turns their backs on him. And when the showdown comes he's all alone. It's a brilliant performance as we see the disappointment on his face over and over again and his expression of determination to stand tall and refuse to run away. Cooper was 51 years old at the time and shows every bit of it. There are lines in his face, bags under his eyes and looseness to his flesh. It's a refreshing reality in these days of plastic surgical perfection. Grace Kelly, who was 23 at the time, is pretty but her performance rather stiff. This was her first big role though and brought her the attention she needed as she established her career.

I felt the tension as the clock ticked away, enjoyed the clarity of the story. I, too, counted the minutes till the whistle of the train and the bad guy stepped off. However, at that point I fell asleep and when I awoke the film had just ended. I was annoyed with myself. But I glad this was a video and I could re-wind and watch it again. And so I did, forcing myself to stay awake. I then realized that it wasn't just because I was sleepy that I fell asleep. The actual showdown was boring to me. Fifty years of watching movies since then has spoiled me. I just can't feel tension in this kind of gun battle in which the conclusion is evident. This of course is not the fault of the film. In the context of its time, it must have been great. And it still holds up as a classic and that's why I give it an unqualified recommendation. It's just a little hard to go back into a 1952 mindset.

Rating:
Summary: More than a Western
Review: This is a thought-provoking film, a commentary on political necessity, and it's probably a mistake to get bogged down by seeking specific historical parallels such as McCarthy's anti-communism or Hollywood reaction to it. (Indeed, I'm a bit puzzled by so many reviewers' fixation on the "despicable" characters that made life difficult for some Hollywood people. Hollywood has spent decades bellyaching about what was comparatively mild treatment in the light of what the innocent suffered in the 20th century (not least at the hands of Communism). And were they all really so innocent? There WAS a Cold War; Roosevelt DID have spies at high levels of his administration; the Soviet Union WAS a ferociously murderous regime bent on world domination. If some Hollywood types had to get a real job for a while, do we need to shed tears over it?) High Noon does, however, have implications not only for personal action in the face of intimidation but for foreign policy. Cooper is the resourceful, humane yet resolutely realistic loner--who is alone because the *most influential* people refuse to join him. The town is full of appeasers or outlaw-sympathizers, but Kane's supporters and those willing to fight do speak out. But their voices are quieted by those too fearful or shortsighted (or both) to fight. The ones that were willing to fight or support a fight (including the woman in the church) were disheartened by the fact that, without greater unity of purpose in the town, they would likely lose. Citizens need to feel that they have a chance of winning. Perhaps a Pericles or a Churchill could have persuaded them to rally, but the only orator in the film is a man who turns his kindly sentiments toward Cooper against him. It is the voice of moderation without courage or even a properly reasoned assessment. This is not, after all, just about Cooper and the criminals' resentment of him; it's about the loss of freedom and decency that the arrival of those criminals represents.

A handful of observations: the fight scene between the marshal and his ex-deputy seems realistic, not overloaded with full punches. The men soon grapple frenetically on the ground, which I understand--though not from experience!--is the way it happens in life. Brawling men don't stay standing but collapse together in an undignified heap. Grace Kelly is less overwhelming to me than she might be to other viewers; I would say that her acting is adequate if lacking in a certain gravitas. (She seemed a little whiney once or twice where a stronger delivery would have worked better.) Katy Jurado is more powerful as the woman of experience, who says with utter truthfulness to the deputy that there is more to being a man than physique; such a truism might have fallen flat in a different context but it is an obvious fact that just as obviously needs saying to this boy-man. Her view of manliness also explains why Cooper who, as one reviewer commented, is old enough to be Kelly's father, could plausibly fill the role of her new husband: women are much more receptive to much older men than men are to older women, since women especially seek maturity in men and that tends to develop with age. In that way, maturity is sexy; no problems with the casting there. Turning to the music, the song's weaving in and out of the film was highly effective in maintaining the tone and expressing the unity of a film whose action is continuous. All round, an excellent film.

Rating:
Summary: the greatest
Review: In the past 40 years I have seen this movie countless numbers of times.When I run across it I simply cannot turn away. The courage and personel code of honor of Gary Cooper's lawman,his humaness and personal scarifice are as impressive today as they were when the movie came out. The beautiful theme music and the great performances by the rest of the cast make this the greatest western of all time.Noboby who enjoys films should miss this jewel. This is about a man who ignores every excuse,overcomes his very real human fears and does the right thing. The fact that his heroism is unappreciated does not matter,as we know it should not. Every award and every kudo this film received was well deserved.How significant it's message in this day and age of politics and what's in it for me.The ending scene is one that you will never forget.A great cast and production team can be proud of making a beautiful movie.Do not miss it!

Rating:
Summary: Another Well-Reviewed Movie I Didn¿t Like.
Review: April 6, 2002

I don't remember the exact quote, but I once saw a
documentary on filmmaker Howard Hawks wherein the great
director finally explained to me why 'High Noon' is the one
supposedly classic western for which I have no patience. It
went something like this:

"'High Noon?' I hate that movie."

The interviewer did a double take. Why? he asked.

"Because the Gary Cooper character is a joke. He's not
serious about his work. He's not a professional. Grace Kelly
saves his lily-livered guts."

Aha!

Mr. Hawks and I are not the only ones dissatisfied
with 'High Noon.' I recall that screenwriter William Goldman
('Adventures In The Screen Trade') also holds it in low esteem.

Now I'm not overly fond of the "unbeatable" heroes of the
so-called Spaghetti westerns. Nor am I favorable to John
Wayne's overbearing screen persona when the film is
mediocre. "Unbeatable" western heroes are just too darn, well,
unbeatable. Not to mention too unflappable. Not to mention
too expert at their trade by half, able to hit bad guys all day
long and half a mile away with a rusty Colt peacemaker. But, at
the same time, no other western has ever had a hero as pale and
insufferable as Gary Cooper in 'High Noon.'

Sure, if three guys were coming to kill me, I'd do just
what he does in the movie. I'd run around looking for help, and
when I didn't get it, I'd end up just like Mr. Cooper; I'd be
pretty worried. Scratch that. I'd be wetting my boots.

So it's a perfectly reasonable argument that 'High Noon' is
one darn realistic western.

But who wants to watch Gary Cooper run around like that for
two hours?

Sheesh.

PEOPLE WHO'LL LIKE THIS MOVIE: someone who has never seen
any other sort of western; Grace Kelly sure is pretty to look
at.
PEOPLE WHO WONT LIKE THIS MOVIE: action fans.