High Plains Drifter is one of the many Westerns I have seen as of recently. So far it is the most unique, and the most dark, twisted story yet. Clint Eastwood directs but this is far from usual tale. High Plains Drifter is perhaps one of the most unique westerns in existence because of it's Supernatural suggestions and it's disturbing theme. Nonetheless you'll be captivated by it's mood and style and when it's all said and done you'll likely have many questions and want to see it again although it will leave you feeling truly afraid for the first time of The Man With No Name.
Clint Eastwood directs and stars as the mysterious stranger who rides into a small town one day and faces a group of gun slingers hired to keep trash out of the small town. But in true Eastwood style he makes short work of them and suddenly becomes the only gun slinger in town to protect them. But is he protecting them?? This time Eastwood's stranger is disturbed, vicious, violent, completely off the deep end. Whereas the strangers in his previous films have been far more cool and collective there is something evil about this man. As the film is hyped in the first 20 minutes he commits three murders and a rape and takes control of the town. Seeing Eastwood in this role is a little jarring always having pictured him as the Western Hero but still he plays the role to it's fullest and makes this what it is. Billy Curtis plays Mordecai, the man who becomes the stranger's wing man so to speak. Curtis is more of the hero than anyone in town and is mostly under rated by everyone there. He does a great job of adding the overall feeling of gloom to the small town. The rest of the cast that make up the small town including Verna Bloom, Mitch Ryan, Robert Donner, Jack Ging, and Stefan Gierasch do a great job. They all have this distinct air of being dirty, evil, no good, and as the history of this town unfolds we discover their individual sins and deeds that they have committed. Terrific character actor Geoffrey Lewis plays Stacey Bridges, the typical Western villain riding himself into a completely not typical western town where sin is being rectified. When Eastwood is the most evil thing in the Western you'd have to be a good actor to still come across as a bad guy and Lewis does that perfectly. He's a worth adversary to Eastwood's stranger.
High Plains Drifter is one Western I could debate and discuss on for hours and hours. I think Eastwood is a ghost or some sort of angel of Vengeance sent to this town to make them pay for allowing a good man to be whipped to death in front of them in order to hide their shady business dealings with a mine that belonged to the Government. There is so much depth and hidden story to this film that it is just amazing!! The entire back story of this town unfolds while we are watching Eastwood exact his revenge and turn this town into Hell, literally. We don't know exactly what the town has done until it's nearly all over but he gets his vengeance and makes them pay. Without a doubt a disturbing and twisted film and an absolute must see for anyone who loves cinema and wants something different from a classic, tried and true genre like The Western and leave it to Eastwood to pull it off. I think High Plains Drifter is probably one of the most underrated films of all time. The tone of the film and message and story is so disturbing I'm not sure I'd ever watch it again and yet that being said it was so brilliant. I know many have said that Eastwood has explained numerous times the stranger in this film and that he was completely human but I like to look at it from a Supernatural angle because there is a sincere shiver up my spine when Mordecai says to Eastwood's stranger "I don't even know who you are" and Eastwood says..."Yes you do" and rides off into the sunset until he literally vanishes into thin air. It's completely different and a must see!! 9/10
Clint Eastwood directs and stars as the mysterious stranger who rides into a small town one day and faces a group of gun slingers hired to keep trash out of the small town. But in true Eastwood style he makes short work of them and suddenly becomes the only gun slinger in town to protect them. But is he protecting them?? This time Eastwood's stranger is disturbed, vicious, violent, completely off the deep end. Whereas the strangers in his previous films have been far more cool and collective there is something evil about this man. As the film is hyped in the first 20 minutes he commits three murders and a rape and takes control of the town. Seeing Eastwood in this role is a little jarring always having pictured him as the Western Hero but still he plays the role to it's fullest and makes this what it is. Billy Curtis plays Mordecai, the man who becomes the stranger's wing man so to speak. Curtis is more of the hero than anyone in town and is mostly under rated by everyone there. He does a great job of adding the overall feeling of gloom to the small town. The rest of the cast that make up the small town including Verna Bloom, Mitch Ryan, Robert Donner, Jack Ging, and Stefan Gierasch do a great job. They all have this distinct air of being dirty, evil, no good, and as the history of this town unfolds we discover their individual sins and deeds that they have committed. Terrific character actor Geoffrey Lewis plays Stacey Bridges, the typical Western villain riding himself into a completely not typical western town where sin is being rectified. When Eastwood is the most evil thing in the Western you'd have to be a good actor to still come across as a bad guy and Lewis does that perfectly. He's a worth adversary to Eastwood's stranger.
High Plains Drifter is one Western I could debate and discuss on for hours and hours. I think Eastwood is a ghost or some sort of angel of Vengeance sent to this town to make them pay for allowing a good man to be whipped to death in front of them in order to hide their shady business dealings with a mine that belonged to the Government. There is so much depth and hidden story to this film that it is just amazing!! The entire back story of this town unfolds while we are watching Eastwood exact his revenge and turn this town into Hell, literally. We don't know exactly what the town has done until it's nearly all over but he gets his vengeance and makes them pay. Without a doubt a disturbing and twisted film and an absolute must see for anyone who loves cinema and wants something different from a classic, tried and true genre like The Western and leave it to Eastwood to pull it off. I think High Plains Drifter is probably one of the most underrated films of all time. The tone of the film and message and story is so disturbing I'm not sure I'd ever watch it again and yet that being said it was so brilliant. I know many have said that Eastwood has explained numerous times the stranger in this film and that he was completely human but I like to look at it from a Supernatural angle because there is a sincere shiver up my spine when Mordecai says to Eastwood's stranger "I don't even know who you are" and Eastwood says..."Yes you do" and rides off into the sunset until he literally vanishes into thin air. It's completely different and a must see!! 9/10