Sergio Leone Web Board
Films of Sergio Leone => Other Films => Topic started by: JamesK on December 15, 2005, 10:04:34 AM
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I will never understand marketers who repackage things like books and DVDs to make them look worse than they did originally. Case in point: High Plains Drifter (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0783225725/thekosubs).
Since the movie's been out on DVD, the box art has simply been a replica of the original one-sheet. It's an instantly recognizable image -- stark, evocative and intriguing -- that has now been replaced with an extremely generic-looking screen capture. What were they thinking?
(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0783225725.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg)(http://i.walmart.com/i/p/00/02/51/92/01/0002519201522_500X500.jpg)
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I had a look at this when I was in my favourite place (1,2,3 its New York!) thinking it might be a new anamorphic transfer. Sadly it isn't, those who want it anamorphic will have to purchase the R2.
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I had a look at this when I was in my favourite place (1,2,3 its New York!) thinking it might be a new anamorphic transfer. Sadly it isn't, those who want it anamorphic will have to purchase the R2.
Since we're talking about packaging here: is the Region 2 DVD still boasting the original one-sheet artwork, or has it been mangled, too?
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its still the one sheet.
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its still the one sheet.
That's good, at least. While I see that the film has been included in some kind of "line" remarketing, I still don't understand why the one-sheet art was jettisoned.
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Universal released and re-released a whole lot of Western films under The Universal Western banner, I've got quite a few I've picked up and I suppose they are doing it to most if not all their western catologue.
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Universal released and re-released a whole lot of Western films under The Universal Western banner, I've got quite a few I've picked up and I suppose they are doing it to most if not all their western catologue.
I understand that, hence my saying, "While I see that the film has been included in some kind of "line" remarketing, I still don't understand why the one-sheet art was jettisoned."
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Apologies, misread the post. :-[
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My guess is to appeal to different audiences. The first one looks more like the Arnold the Governator movie while the second is more of a cheesy good old fashioned western(though I don't like the so called cheese western, I'm a Spaghetti Western guy.i'd take some spaghetti hold the cheese.)
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What i find attractive about buying DVD's i already have on video tape is the extra footage or lost scenes that you sometimes get.Unfortunately it seems that all the brilliant westerns that Eastwood directed and starred in are absent of any additional footage which leads me to believe he included every single scene he filmed and nothing was left on the cutting room floor!
Oh what i'd give for High Plains Drifter(Pale Rider and Josey Wales) to have an extra 15 minutes like GBU!
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Some directors don't like to let people see their deleted scenes (see Spielberg) but I hear Eastwood tries not to let any footage go to waste.
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I suppose that figures with Eastwood with him having complete artistic control as director and leading actor.Also with a dependence on the same stable of cast,especially in the 1970's,i guess Clint had a pretty good idea of what would or wouldn't work,therefore not resulting in any wastage of film reel.
Its annoying though isn't it!
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Yes, but then again it depends what footage was being put back in. For instance, I love Apocalypse Now and the new Redux version but there is some footage I wish Francis Coppola had not put back in (mainly the Playboy Bunnies scene).
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Didn't know that Coppola slipped in a bit of totty into Apocalypse Now!!
Oh well i'll take your word for it that it was to the detriment of the movie!
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it's more then a little. The French Colony scene is the best addition (its excellent)
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High Plains Drifter 8/10
Severely underrated film in my opinion.
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High Plains Drifter 8/10
Severely underrated film in my opinion.
Agree. With the rating and comment.
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Agree. With the rating and comment.
Thanks Whalestoe! Clint Eastwood was amazing in this film, to cool for words. He had minimal diologue but when he opened his mouth, he had some memorable lines. I preticularly loved the scene where he's watching over the townies for the first time practicing their gunfire. His reaction and words are hilarious!
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HPD is his most Spaghetti Western like Western
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wasn't HPD the sort of remake of The Great Silence? ???
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Speaking of Eastwood, my aunt and uncle went to his restaurant in California. He was supposed to show up, but he never did.
The bastard.
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wasn't HPD the sort of remake of The Great Silence? ???
Naaah. People say that Hang 'em High is influenced by TGS (there are some very similar scenes), and that the mauser used by Silenzio in The Great Silence makes a reappearance in Eastwood's western Joe Kidd.
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Speaking of Eastwood, my aunt and uncle went to his restaurant in California. He was supposed to show up, but he never did.
The bastard.
Damn!.......... I'll never watch an Eastwood film again!!
::)
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Watching it right now :)
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I love this film. It also gets better with repeated viewings from my perspective.
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"What happened to our horses? We had three good animals"
"What do you think you've been eating these past 6 months?"
Great western quote, and apparently John Wayne hated this film.
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"What happened to our horses? We had three good animals"
"What do you think you've been eating these past 6 months?"
Great western quote, and apparently John Wayne hated this film.
Yes he did. He wrote Clint Eastwood a letter after he seen it didn't capture the real meaning of the west. Something along those lines.
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Yes he did. He wrote Clint Eastwood a letter after he seen it didn't capture the real meaning of the west. Something along those lines.
Wonder if he wrote Sergio Leone a letter?
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Wonder if he wrote Sergio Leone a letter?
I've never read anything about that, but we do know that Wayne didn't think to highly about Spaghetti Westerns. I'm a pretty big John Wayne fan myself but this is one of the things I didn't like about him. He was a bit to stubborn and uptight.
It would have been pretty amazing what Wayne could have been capable of under Sergio's direction.
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I've never read anything about that, but we do know that Wayne didn't think to highly about Spaghetti Westerns. I'm a pretty big John Wayne fan myself but this is one of the things I didn't like about him. He was a bit to stubborn and uptight.
It would have been pretty amazing what Wayne could have been capable of under Sergio's direction.
Yeah I've always wondered what would be like if Sergio made a film with John Wayne and James Stewart since they have great on screen chemestry.
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I don't know how come I didn't rate this W before... :-\
High Plains Drifter was a favorite of mine when I was a kid, I don't know, I just loved every bit of it, from the story to the characters, everything. Actually one of the rare few AWs that were dear to me at the time, cause I grew up watching mostly SWs. And I still like it enough to watch it from time to time, but I just can't help to think how much better would it have been if directed by someone with a little more sensitivity for visual imagery. Now, I can't object to any scene in particular, they seem done relatively well from the technical point of view, but they very often feel so crude you could almost cut them one by one with a knife and toss on a barbecue to get more taste and juice out of them. For example: in the whole movie we get only two panoramic views (that I can remember) of the fictional town of Lago (built on the shores of Mono Lake (CA) just for filming purposes), of which none is memorable, let alone breathtaking (as they should be).
7.45/10
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http://www.fistful-of-leone.com/forums/index.php?topic=148.0
The opening mirage/ghost sequense was beautiful the music equally great, I would have thought it was Morricone, and Its a good story, the avenging gunfighter returns to punnish the townfolk and the released outlaws responsible for murdering the sheriff, framed by the same. This is definitely the most spahgetti like of Clints American westerns, I agree. And it does have good story elements. But here is the flaw, aside from Geoffry Lewis (a very good character actor), Paul Brinegar "Whisbone" (from Rawhide) and Billy Curtis as Mordecai, who were great, it could have used some strong big name actor/s to play opposite Clint as the chief villian. Whats lacking in Clints American westerns is Leone's way of casting stars out of character that worked so well to keep audiences on edge. Its all probably got something to do with lower budgets, and the fact that the movies were shot here in expensive America, Leone got more bang for the buck in Spain.
The movies location was definitely different, and it probably should have shown much more of it, in Leone's epics the sweeping landscapes had a lot to with the feel of the movies and were just as much a part of the film as Morricone's music. Leones big landscapes were even bigger because he amplified the sounds to an un-natural volume, crows cawing, endless wind, mechanical creaks, steam hissing, hooves pounding. The town setting seems just a tadd too constrained, some of the story elements should have been moved to other locations. The mine owners storyline could have taken place at the mine which would have given the opportunity for another location. The town set itself seemed to be built on the cheap, look at the realistic mining boom towns in "Paint your Wagon" or "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" Also seemed to lack extras which would have given the town more of a boom atmosphere to go with its shinny new penny look.
Painting the town red was a great touch, and the burning down of most of it was good too, but again the climax should have been more Leonesque. Again overall good with what seemed to me a fatal flaw that being too low a budget.
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Also seemed to lack extras which would have given the town more of a boom atmosphere to go with its shinny new penny look.
I think making the town look more populated would have deflated the creepy atmosphere the film exudes.
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I missed that whole topic somehow...
http://www.fistful-of-leone.com/forums/index.php?topic=148.0
The opening mirage/ghost sequense was beautiful the music equally great, I would have thought it was Morricone, and Its a good story, the avenging gunfighter returns to punnish the townfolk and the released outlaws responsible for murdering the sheriff, framed by the same. This is definitely the most spahgetti like of Clints American westerns, I agree. And it does have good story elements.
But here is the flaw, aside from Geoffry Lewis (a very good character actor), Paul Brinegar "Whisbone" (from Rawhide) and Billy Curtis as Mordecai, who were great, it could have used some strong big name actor/s to play opposite Clint as the chief villian. Whats lacking in Clints American westerns is Leone's way of casting stars out of character that worked so well to keep audiences on edge. Its all probably got something to do with lower budgets, and the fact that the movies were shot here in expensive America, Leone got more bang for the buck in Spain.
I actually think Clint did a good job with the casting, all the characters/actors had strong and interesting faces, and aside from sometimes going over the top with the silliness and clownishness of expression, they brought to the movie what they were supposed to. The mitigating circumstance for most/all of them is that (I think) Clint wanted them to be that way in first place, so that he can be the mean authoritative macho of a figure. It's like what must have crossed everybody's mind while watching Mordecai: OK, you made him the sheriff and mayor and what else not, it's funny, yeah, but now ''retire'' him, cause it's becoming boring watching him parading around. I don't know if this can all be attributed to the low budget, as much to Clint Eastwood's personal preferences.
The movies location was definitely different, and it probably should have shown much more of it, in Leone's epics the sweeping landscapes had a lot to with the feel of the movies and were just as much a part of the film as Morricone's music. Leones big landscapes were even bigger because he amplified the sounds to an un-natural volume, crows cawing, endless wind, mechanical creaks, steam hissing, hooves pounding. The town setting seems just a tadd too constrained, some of the story elements should have been moved to other locations. The mine owners storyline could have taken place at the mine which would have given the opportunity for another location. The town set itself seemed to be built on the cheap, look at the realistic mining boom towns in "Paint your Wagon" or "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" Also seemed to lack extras which would have given the town more of a boom atmosphere to go with its shinny new penny look.
Yeah, that's what I was aiming at too. We partially see the town of Lago and then we see nothing else, nothing around it and not much inside it. If we exclude Lago, the next potentially very interesting location was the prison in the desert where the three thugs were stayin' at. But no, again, in strange circumstances we see only the gate. Now it can be the prison wasn't (built) there at all, but after Lago gets wasted without dignity, it makes you wonder.
Painting the town red was a great touch, and the burning down of most of it was good too, but again the climax should have been more Leonesque. Again overall good with what seemed to me a fatal flaw that being too low a budget.
One word that sums all the movie up is - crudeness. Starting from the directing to all else. Everything seems to be missing a pinch or two of something, and it's a real pity, it was a good story.
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I just saw "High Plains Drifter," on AMC. Here are some of my thoughts:
1. Overall, I did not love the film as much as many people on the board seem to.
2. I am sure every Leone fan immediately thought of Fistful of Dollars, from the opening sequences and throughout the film.
3. I REALLY did like the filming of the scenes where Clint is riding through town; instead of simply showing him riding, the camera repeatedly uses POV shots, of both the townspeople and him. (Actually, since Clint never turns his head while he is riding, it is not really his POV; it's more like the POV of his horse's ass ;)
4. There were other scenes, especially nighttime scenes, where I did not like the camera's use of repeatedly switching focus.
5. The Mordecai character was great; the wry humor of Clint (eg. making Mordecai the sheriff and mayor, giving the kids the free candy, making everyone paint the town red, etc.) was really funny. Some of this is very much like Leone - understated comedic gags at the expense of some unfortunate people!
6. Great location for the filming; the town is absolutely gorgeous.
7. Some people here have mentioned John Wayne's thoughts on the film. Here is what I read on Wikipedia (ordinarily I trust Wikipedia less than my neighbor's cat, but at least part of this seems to have a citation):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Plains_Drifter#Reception
It says:
John Wayne was offered a role in the film and was sent the script, but replied to Eastwood some weeks after the film was released, expressing disapproval, saying that "the townspeople did not represent the true spirit of the American pioneer, the spirit that made America great". (the citation is to Schickel's book).
It is interesting to compare this to Wayne's well-known criticisms of High Noon. I am no expert or historian on John Wayne, but perhaps I can guess that Wayne took the Western, and the history of the American West very, very seriously, and was loathe to treat it in the irreverent manner that others (including the Spaghetti Westerns) did. Just a guess.
8. As I said, I saw it on AMC; of course it was shown in HD full-screen, which is 16:9. Interestingly, by the last shot of the film (when Clint is riding away from the cemetery), suddenly the picture switches to letterbox (ie. there were black bars on top and bottom of the screen). Weird stuff; I have never seen that happen before. I'd appreciate if anyone knows what that is all about.
9. I am not a huge fan of the "supernatural" stuff. I wish it had just turned out that the dead sheriff was Clint's father or something (I have read that on international prints, he was indeed Clint's brother; but on USA prints, it was intentionally left ambiguous). (eg. see the last few sentences of the "Production" section http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Plains_Drifter#Production ). If, as he was riding away, when Mordecai asked him his name, he woulda just said somethin like "Jim Duncan... Junior, I would have preferred that. (Come to think of it, that woulda been similar to Lee Van cleef in FAFDM; explaining the whole movie with the simple words "naturally, between brother and sister.")
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John Wayne was offered a role in the film and was sent the script, but replied to Eastwood some weeks after the film was released, expressing disapproval, saying that "the townspeople did not represent the true spirit of the American pioneer, the spirit that made America great". (the citation is to Schickel's book).
It is interesting to compare this to Wayne's well-known criticisms of High Noon. I am no expert or historian on John Wayne, but perhaps I can guess that Wayne took the Western, and the history of the American West very, very seriously, and was loathe to treat it in the irreverent manner that others (including the Spaghetti Westerns) did. Just a guess.
Or, one could say that he was (in conjunction with a few other things) very, very opinionated. (To say at least.)
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9. I am not a huge fan of the "supernatural" stuff. I wish it had just turned out that the dead sheriff was Clint's father or something (I have read that on international prints, he was indeed Clint's brother; but on USA prints, it was intentionally left ambiguous). (eg. see the last few sentences of the "Production" section http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Plains_Drifter#Production ). If, as he was riding away, when Mordecai asked him his name, he woulda just said somethin like "Jim Duncan... Junior) I would have preferred that. (Come to think of it, that woulda been similar to Lee Van cleef in FAFDM; explaining the whole movie with the simple words "naturally, between brother and sister.")
I am a huge fan of the ''supernatural stuff''', not only in this movie but in general, but the fact is Clint didn't have the necessary skills to pull it off. Back then for sure, don't know now. The atmosphere more than anything else, I mean. Then again, had the atmosphere been thicker, more menacing and there from the very start, everybody would have guessed right away the direction of the movie, and who/what the mysterious drifter was. So, in the end, taking everything into consideration (script, etc.), this movie is what it is, and I don't think it could have been anything else.
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I am a huge fan of the ''supernatural stuff''', not only in this movie but in general, but the fact is Clint didn't have the necessary skills to pull it off. Back then for sure, don't know now. The atmosphere more than anything else, I mean. Then again, had the atmosphere been thicker, more menacing and there from the very start, everybody would have guessed right away the direction of the movie, and who/what the mysterious drifter was. So, in the end, taking everything into consideration (script, etc.), this movie is what it is, and I don't think it could have been anything else.
I like to imagine that a movie "could have happened," so to speak. Of course, some suspension of disbelief is always required, but in that context, I prefer it when movies "could have happened" rather than just total fantasy.
This is a very important thing for me; eg. even in action movies, I really don't like when the action is waaaay over the top. My most recent example is Die Hard 4. Even by Die hard standards, the action sequences in that movie were so absolutely ridiculous -- it may as well have been a video game -- I just did not enjoy the movie at all.
So I am not into this sort of supernatural or science fiction stuff whatsoever. The only movie with these elements that I can say I really like is "The Shining." (though to be honest, I haven't watched many; cuz the whole concept of supernatural annoys me ;)
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This is one of my main complaints on this film I think it was a lost opportunity.
The movies location was definitely different, and it probably should have shown much more of it, in Leone's epics the sweeping landscapes had a lot to with the feel of the movies and were just as much a part of the film as Morricone's music. Leone's big landscapes were even bigger because he amplified the sounds to an un-natural volume, crows cawing, endless wind, mechanical creaks, steam hissing, hooves pounding. The town setting seems just a tadd too constrained at bit too "quaint", some of the story elements should have been moved to other locations to open things up. The mine owners storyline could have taken place at the mine which would have given the opportunity for another location. The town set itself seemed to be built on the cheap, look at the realistic looking mining boom towns in "Paint your Wagon" or "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" Also seemed to lack extras which would have given the town more of a boom atmosphere to go with its shinny new penny look.
You may find this thread interesting:
http://www.fistful-of-leone.com/forums/index.php?topic=148.0
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This is one of my main complaints on this film I think it was a lost opportunity.
The movies location was definitely different, and it probably should have shown much more of it, in Leone's epics the sweeping landscapes had a lot to with the feel of the movies and were just as much a part of the film as Morricone's music. Leone's big landscapes were even bigger because he amplified the sounds to an un-natural volume, crows cawing, endless wind, mechanical creaks, steam hissing, hooves pounding. The town setting seems just a tadd too constrained at bit too "quaint", some of the story elements should have been moved to other locations to open things up. The mine owners storyline could have taken place at the mine which would have given the opportunity for another location. The town set itself seemed to be built on the cheap, look at the realistic looking mining boom towns in "Paint your Wagon" or "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" Also seemed to lack extras which would have given the town more of a boom atmosphere to go with its shinny new penny look.
You may find this thread interesting:
http://www.fistful-of-leone.com/forums/index.php?topic=148.0
well as I've noted in my previous post, this movie certainly reminds us of FOD (though I don't know if Clint meant it as an intentional reference)... so I guess it is only fitting that the whole movie basically takes place in one town, with no extras, and few landscapes ;)
you are definitely right about the sounds; Frayling frequently quotes Leone as saying that sound is at least 40% of a movie. This concept is prevalent throughout Leone's films (reaching its apex in the opening scene of OUATITW)
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y'all know that Intrada records has released the soundtrack of this, right?
only took 40 years ;D
in addition to the very cool music in the film there are several tracks that were dropped, notably the score for the training sequence with the wagon
check it out!!!
bruce
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y'all know that Intrada records has released the soundtrack of this, right?
only took 40 years ;D
in addition to the very cool music in the film there are several tracks that were dropped, notably the score for the training sequence with the wagon
check it out!!!
bruce
sounds interesting O0
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Blu-ray.com has some great news about the new BD transfer:
In a rare show of catalog interest, Universal has issued a fresh scan of this 1973 feature. The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation provides a crisp, clean HD appearance, with only a mild amount of filtering to manage the grain, not erase it. Detail is superb, isolating facial particulars in meaty, sweaty close-ups, while locations reveal naturalistic textures, adding to the remote mood of the film. Blacks are consistent and deep, with little lost to evening incidents, while period outfits retain their craftsmanship. Colors are balanced and purposeful, with Lago's transformation into a red-painted Hell a highlight of the viewing experience, while costuming allows for additional explorations into primaries. Skintones are natural and communicative. Print is clean, without damage. Overall, I wish all the studio's vault titles were treated this kindly, as a simple effort of preservation allows "Drifter" to ride confidently on BD.
Ordered!
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Took me to about my fourth time seeing this film to realize that the drifter was actually the Marshall... I don't know how i missed that... Now i understand why the drifter basically demolished the same town he was suppose to be saving...
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Took me to about my fourth time seeing this film to realize that the drifter was actually the Marshall... I don't know how i missed that... Now i understand why the drifter basically demolished the same town he was suppose to be saving...
That is something debatable, could be his reincarnation, could be his ghost, could be his brother. ;)
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That is something debatable, could be his reincarnation, could be his ghost, could be his brother. ;)
In the production notes i read at wiki, it is referenced that Clint clearly wanted the audience to NOT think he was the marshall's brother and intended it to be supernatural, i.e. a ghost. Thats why in one scene, the marshall's face morphs into Clint's face. Thats why at the end Mordecai said " I never did know your name " and Clint responded " yes you do". Then he rides off and he disappears in the haze of the sun. Clint meant it literally what he was doing...
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Adding my bit.
Supernatural Western?
A lone gunman with no name and seemingly with no past, rides into the dusky town of Lago. The residents of Lago at first view the stranger with suspicion, but when news that some outlaws that are out for blood are on their way to town, they ask the stranger for his help.
This is Clint Eastwood's first Western film that he directed, and it's clear and evident that the guy not only loves the genre that made his name, he also knows what makes it work. Obviously having worked for Sergio Leone, Eastwood was making notes because High Plains Drifter oozes the mythical aura of many of Leone's finest genre offerings. To which, with thanks, the result is one of the best offerings in the 70s for the Oater enthusiast.
The film opens with our mysterious drifter slowly coming out of the beautiful sprawling haze and into Lago, it's ethereal, then there's just the sound of the horse breathing and the clop of its hooves that can be heard (the sound mix here is incredible), it's a gloriously mysterious opening that sets the tone perfectly. Yet Eastwood is just toying with us though, for a quick jolt of sex and violence snaps us out of the beatific warmth and into a quite hauntingly cold and morally challenged place. From here on in the stranger will demand all manner of odd things from the residents of Lago, he seems to be toying with them and revelling in their discomfort, with Lago quickly resembling an arid hellhole. You see, Lago has a dark secret, and our mysterious stranger has a purpose, and it's this purpose that makes High Plains Drifter an intriguing and gripping experience.
A well known fact now is that the great man of the genre, John Wayne, wrote Eastwood to strongly complain about his harsh vision of the West, one can only think the Duke failed to grasp the post Vietnam feel of a 70s made Western. It's a great directorial effort from Eastwood, more so when you marry up his acting performance to his directorial duties. Very much the perfect role, it lets Eastwood accentuate his rugged Western leanings. Eastwood would direct the similarly themed Pale Rider in the 80s and then the genre crown topper Unforgiven in the 90s. A Western great in each decade? Well that will always be debatable, but what we do know is that the Western genre was considerably lucky to have had such a man to keep the genre going for the newer interested wanderers into the Wild West.
Beautifully photographed (Bruce Surtees) on the shores of Mono Lake, California, it's a film pungent with sex, sadism, retribution and risks. High Plains Drifter is mystical and magnificent and essential Western fare. 9/10
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Seems like Eastwood singlehandedly kept the Western (somewhat) alive ling after everyone else forgot about it. But, IMO, though he directed some good Westerns, he never directed a great one. He directed many other great movies, but not Westermns. (Btw, I am not a big fan of UNFORGIVEN). THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES is good. I liked HANG 'EM HIGH the one time I saw it, which must have been like 6 or 7 years ago.
I posted my thoughts on HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER on the first page of this thread, after I saw it, for the first time 6 years ago Have not seen it again. http://www.fistful-of-leone.com/forums/index.php?topic=2726.msg146076#msg146076
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Adding my bit.
Supernatural Western?
A lone gunman with no name and seemingly with no past, rides into the dusky town of Lago. The residents of Lago at first view the stranger with suspicion, but when news that some outlaws that are out for blood are on their way to town, they ask the stranger for his help.
This is Clint Eastwood's first Western film that he directed, and it's clear and evident that the guy not only loves the genre that made his name, he also knows what makes it work. Obviously having worked for Sergio Leone, Eastwood was making notes because High Plains Drifter oozes the mythical aura of many of Leone's finest genre offerings. To which, with thanks, the result is one of the best offerings in the 70s for the Oater enthusiast.
The film opens with our mysterious drifter slowly coming out of the beautiful sprawling haze and into Lago, it's ethereal, then there's just the sound of the horse breathing and the clop of its hooves that can be heard (the sound mix here is incredible), it's a gloriously mysterious opening that sets the tone perfectly. Yet Eastwood is just toying with us though, for a quick jolt of sex and violence snaps us out of the beatific warmth and into a quite hauntingly cold and morally challenged place. From here on in the stranger will demand all manner of odd things from the residents of Lago, he seems to be toying with them and revelling in their discomfort, with Lago quickly resembling an arid hellhole. You see, Lago has a dark secret, and our mysterious stranger has a purpose, and it's this purpose that makes High Plains Drifter an intriguing and gripping experience.
A well known fact now is that the great man of the genre, John Wayne, wrote Eastwood to strongly complain about his harsh vision of the West, one can only think the Duke failed to grasp the post Vietnam feel of a 70s made Western. It's a great directorial effort from Eastwood, more so when you marry up his acting performance to his directorial duties. Very much the perfect role, it lets Eastwood accentuate his rugged Western leanings. Eastwood would direct the similarly themed Pale Rider in the 80s and then the genre crown topper Unforgiven in the 90s. A Western great in each decade? Well that will always be debatable, but what we do know is that the Western genre was considerably lucky to have had such a man to keep the genre going for the newer interested wanderers into the Wild West.
Beautifully photographed (Bruce Surtees) on the shores of Mono Lake, California, it's a film pungent with sex, sadism, retribution and risks. High Plains Drifter is mystical and magnificent and essential Western fare. 9/10
Great write up on this film. I've always considered this film to be a sphagetti western. Pale Rider is the other sphagetti western that Eastwood made. Heck, you can almost put Hangem High in there too. Back to this film. I consider this film, along with Death Rides a Horse as the closest films to what Leone did in the sphagetti western genre. The Big Gundown, Day of Anger and Pale Rider are not too far behind.
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http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_129/high_plains_drifter_blu-ray.htm
Weirdly, although the Beev acknowledges that there's a prior 2018 release from Universal, they make no attempt to compare the two.
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http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_129/high_plains_drifter_blu-ray.htm
Weirdly, although the Beev acknowledges that there's a prior 2018 release from Universal, they make no attempt to compare the two.
Well why don't you take a bullet for the rest of us and tell us the diff ;-)
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Despite not being a bad film High Plains Drifter is a disappointing western by the Clint with a certain lack of atmosphere. Like the mediocre Pale Rider Eastwood's directing and his work with the actors is quite weak and all of the characters are more or less boring, but what makes High Plains Drifter better is that the film's nasty plot gives HPD some substance. Enough for a 6/10 and the wish someone else had used the film's potential for a better movie.
The supernatural stuff is ok in this one, it does not distract, but does not help much either.
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Despite not being a bad film High Plains Drifter is a disappointing western by the Clint with a certain lack of atmosphere. Like the mediocre Pale Rider Eastwood's directing and his work with the actors is quite weak and all of the characters are more or less boring, but what makes High Plains Drifter better is that the film's nasty plot gives HPD some substance. Enough for a 6/10 and the wish someone else had used the film's potential for a better movie.
The supernatural stuff is ok in this one, it does not distract, but does not help much either.
The great thing about High Plains Drifters is that for once, the film isn't so much about Eastwood's (anti)heroism as it is about regular people's mediocrity. I absolutely love that twist in the classic "bad-ass stranger saves town from the bad guys" flick, and the way it's done is powerful enough (yet not too demonstrative) to save the movie from its own flaws.
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The great thing about High Plains Drifters is that for once, the film isn't so much about Eastwood's (anti)heroism as it is about regular people's mediocrity. I absolutely love that twist in the classic "bad-ass stranger saves town from the bad guys" flick, and the way it's done is powerful enough (yet not too demonstrative) to save the movie from its own flaws.
This, although for "mediocrity" I'd put culpability.
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Robert Harris: https://www.hometheaterforum.com/a-few-words-about-high-plains-drifter-in-blu-ray/
Image ? 5
Audio ? 5
Pass / Fail ? Pass
Upgrade from previous Blu-ray ? Yes, but only for the extras
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https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/High-Plains-Drifter-Blu-ray/270444/#Review
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"John Wayne once wrote me a letter telling me he didn't like HPD. He said it wasn't about the people who really pionereed the West." (Clint Eastwood)
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(https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/data/attachments/131/131416-5f6b3602c1c69fd583ffa6c71b149396.jpg)
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https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/threads/a-few-words-about-tm-high-plains-drifter-in-4k-uhd.377605/