Rijndri Load of rubbish!!

MusicChat It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

Brenda The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Devran ikiz "High Plains Drifter" is a typical Western revenge film directed by Clint Eastwood. It is one of the earliest examples of Clint Eastwood as a director. He is also in the leading role as The Stranger. From the very beginning of the film, you get to understand the road it is going to follow. The Stranger rides into a sweet mining town near the sea called Lago. There is no talking in the first 6 minutes of the film. When he rides into the town, everybody watches him, and this is when we get to know a little bit the small town and its fearful people. During the first scenes you get to understand why Clint Eastwood has always been the symbol of masculinity in cinema. The character Clint Eastwood plays has a certain style that doesn't fail him. The same coolness of his characters in his other films is still here in the "High Plains Drifter". In Lago, people go on with their usual lives, but this sweet small town holds a terrible secret. Once upon a time, there was a marshal in this town and, when he finds out that the mine belongs to the government, he goes ahead and tries to reveal this secret. Three gunmen, hired by the townspeople, whip the marshal to death and the secret is hidden forever. When the film progresses, we get to understand that The Stranger is somehow related to the murdered marshal, and comes to this small town to take this revenge. Everything signals us that The Stranger is the ghost of the murdered marshal, Jim Duncan.It is said that "High Plains Drifter" is influenced by the works of film directors like Sergio Leone and Don Siegel. You see a lot of similarities between Eastwood's character in the "High Plains Drifter" and The Dollars Trilogy or in the films he worked with Don Siegel. Made in 1973, "High Plains Drifter" remains popular even today and represents one of the finest examples of the Western genre. This film is one of the best start points if you want to get familiar with Clint Eastwood's directing style. It hides its secret until the very last moment and reveals everything with its last scene. When the film opens with The Stranger killing three men and rapes a woman, I had no idea what was going on, but with the story developing, everything starts to make sense. He gets all the buildings painted in red and changes the name of the town from Lago to Hell for a reason which is held hidden until the very last scene.In order to understand the story, you need to pay attention to everything, because there are some scenes that reveal the truth about the revenge The Stranger comes to take. It is a very well made iconic film. Maybe the camera angles and the set don't create the necessary credibility, but overall image of the film is brilliant. Soundtracks keep the audience alert at all times and they fit the overall atmosphere of the film. Regarding the set, it is too obvious that it was recently built. In some scenes, camera angles are really bad and fails to focus on the bigger picture. In my opinion if camera was paying a little bit more attention to the reactions of people around, it would have helped to create a more credible atmosphere for the film. Other than the set, filming location is beautiful. Personally, I am sorry to see that this beautiful town of Lago is destroyed in the end of the film for good reason."High Plains Drifter" is a one-man film, but I can't say Eastwood's acting alone was enough for this film to be considered as a classic. The story behind justifies his reactions during the film. That's why both acting and the story are equally important and can't be separated. Even though before "High Plains Drifter", Clint Eastwood had this style, with this film he steps up and shows his talent as a director as well. All these years his contributions to cinema both as an actor and as a director can't be denied. Thanks to his early films like this one, he built a reputation and remained active until the present day. "High Plains Drifter" is a highly personalized Clint Eastwood film with a runtime of 105 minutes. Even though you are not a fan of Western, to understand the progression of Clint Eastwood, you need to watch this film.

MJB784 Yes, that includes the Dollars Trilogy and the best picture western Unforgiven. The story was more exciting and focused. I loved the music and film techniques from the camera angels, locations, choreography of the action scenes and editing. Ahead of its time and so is the chilling music and film techniques that feel very Hitchcockian.

sawman-24193 The first time I saw High Plains Drifter was probably in the late 1970s. Clint Eastwood stars in and directs the film. Most westerns are either about cattle drives or cowboys and Indians. High Plains Drifter is different: this is a God's-Judgment-on-the-wicked western.Clint Eastwood plays a stranger who rides into the town of Lago--and he has a really bad attitude. This stranger is also very good with a side arm. During the course of the film, the stranger ends up killing some bad guys and burning the town of Lago to the ground. There are a couple of flashbacks of one Marshall Jim Duncan being whipped to death. At the end of the film, the audience can see that the stranger was the Second Coming of Marshall Duncan:The stranger rides out of the town of Lago past the cemetery. This little guy named Mordecai is writing something on a grave marker. The stranger looks at Mordecai and Mordecai looks up and says, "I'm almost done here."Then Mordecai asks the stranger, "I never did know your name."And the stranger replies, "Yes, you do."As the stranger rides off, the camera shows the grave marker: "Marshall Jim Duncan."I have a short story entitled "High Plains Drifter" (Ethos, March & May 1995); I have a book entitled High Plains Drifter: A Hitchhiking Journey Across America (PublishAmerica, December 2008); I have a blog called "High Plains Drifter." So is this some sort of gunslinger fixation or is there method to my madness? The clue is in one Scripture: "In the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word be established."There is a lot of sin (unrepented sin) in the United States and in the world. When people continue to live in sin, eventually God's Judgment falls. The more people try to hide their sin, the greater God's Judgment. The people of Lago tried to hide the murder of Marshall Duncan, but their sin was found out. You can't hide from God.There is a scene in High Plains Drifter where this lady tells the stranger, "Ever since Marshall Duncan's death, the people in this town are afraid of strangers." _____"When the Stranger says: 'What is the meaning of this city? Do you huddle close together because you love each other?' What will you answer? 'We all dwell together To make money from each other'? or 'This is a community'?"Oh my soul, be prepared for the coming of the Stranger. Be prepared for him who knows how to ask questions."There is one who remembers the way to your door: Life you may evade, but Death you shall not. You shall not deny the Stranger."--T.S. Eliot Choruses from "The Rock"_____There is another scene in High Plains Drifter where the people of Lago (the town of Lago reminds me of Algona, Iowa) are meeting at the church. One of the guys is speaking in the front of the church. The camera then pans to the right and shows a bulletin board with this Scripture:Isaiah 53: 3-4: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Marshall Jim Duncan was whipped to death; Jesus Christ was at least nine-tenths whipped to death. The stranger riding into Lago (the first scene of the film) is a symbol of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ: not as the Lamb of God, but as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.Isaiah 63: 1-6: "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth."

Fella_shibby I saw this first in the early 90s on a VHS. Jus revisited this recently. Dee Barton's eerie film score really stood out in making this a mystery western film. The first viewing did create a sense of suspense. In this film Eastwood once again plays a mysterious stranger, this time meting out justice in a corrupt frontier mining town. The scene in which he enters the town, there is this eerie music in the background. The same music is repeated when he departs from the town. I liked the film's dark tone and thought this was more than just a western. The movie has a mystery to it. When I saw it first, I thot that Clint was the dead spirit of the Marshal, but when I saw it recently, I think it's left ambiguous. It cud hav been the brother of the Marshal or some spectator who was hiding in the dark n came back prepared for the revenge. Please feel free to explain me. Nevertheless, its a nice film but not that good compared to other westerns. This is Clints first western to be directed by himself n 2nd as a movie director.