High Plains Drifter (1973)

[Moorman]

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...

[Spikeopath]

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

[drinkanddestroy]

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

[Moorman]

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.

[dave jenkins]

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.

[cigar joe]

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 ;-)

[stanton]

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.

[noodles_leone]

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.

[dave jenkins]

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.

[dave jenkins]

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

[dave jenkins]

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/High-Plains-Drifter-Blu-ray/270444/#Review

[titoli]

"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)

[dave jenkins]

[dave jenkins]

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/threads/a-few-words-about-tm-high-plains-drifter-in-4k-uhd.377605/