1952’s High Noon, directed
by Fred Zinnemann.
Starring Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Katy Jurado, Lloyd
Bridges, Otto Kruger, Ian MacDonald, Sheb Wooley, Lee Van Cleef, and Robert J.
Wilke.
Winner of an Academy Award for Best Actor (Gary Cooper),
Best Film Editing (Elmo Williams and Harry W. Gerstad), Best Music (Dimitri
Tiomkin), Best Song (Dimitri
Tiomkin and Ned Washington).
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, Best
Director (Fred Zinnemann),
And Best Screenplay (Carl Foreman).
What is it about?
High Noon is a
western, set in New Hadley of the New Mexico territories. Gary Cooper stars as
a retired town Marshall, seen getting married (to his Quaker fiancee, Grace
Kelly). At around 1030AM, word gets out in the town that three outlaws (Ian MacDonald,
Sheb Wooley, and Lee Van Cleef) are in town for Revenge. Waiting on a fourth
outlaw (Robert J. Wilke) to come in on the train, they vow to kill Cooper at
noon. Will Cooper be able to rally the town to his defence so that he and his
bride can enjoy retired matrimonial life abroad?
Why is it worth seeing?
High Noon’s
greatest strength is its ability to subvert expectations. For a western, it
features an unusually low amount of action sequences, and an unusually high
amount of tension. In place of bullets flying, we find minutes zinging past us
via the hands of the clock. In this real time exercise, we find ourselves firmly
rooted in Gary Cooper’s spurs, as his overmatched marshal attempts to round up support
from a scattered and self involved populace. It’s a performance that is heroic,
but not for the usual reasons.
The choice to make the film operate (essentially) in real
time, means that the impending climax looms throughout the film. We know that
the quartet of villains have little but revenge (and drinking) on their minds,
and they’re going to settle the score with Cooper one way or another. Cooper is
continually told by the townspeople (and his new wife) that the smartest thing
to do would be to leave town. His intractable response to try to garner support
so that he will stand a chance against the gang escalates the sensation of time’s
deadly passing.
Cooper’s portrayal of the fair minded marshal would win him
an Oscar. John Wayne was reportedly incensed that he did not get the role
instead, but in a strange way, it’s the perfect choice. Cooper’s depiction is
so much less machismo than the duke’s usual red meat schtick. And Cooper has a
frame that seems to serve as an inspiration for Tim Robbins, and as he ambles around town with his gun belt
dangling around his hips, it’s easier to imagine him being a taxidermist than a
sheriff. While Grace Kelly’s pacifist Quaker character is left (mostly) on the
side lines, Katy Jurado is also fantastic, as the character who sticks to her
metaphorical guns no matter the flavour in the air.
Cooper’s attempts to round up support lead to us meeting
many of the local townsfolk. Like any population, they are (usually) bonded to
the marshal, are fair minded, respectful, and even philanthropic- but that
doesn’t guarantee they’re going to put themselves in harm’s way. Similar to
society in general, time and time again, people let their individualistic natures
determine their responses. Is it wrong to do so in order to save one’s skin
against impossible odds?
With an amazing score, real-time tension, an’ unexpected
finale, a timeless message, and a brief running time (85 minutes!) to make each
subsequent viewing experience easier to enjoy even more, High Noon is a film worth watching- any time of the day.
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