Dir. Fred Zinnemann (trailer)
Considered to be one of the greatest Western films ever made, High Noon takes place during an hour in which the Marshal (Gary Cooper) of a small town tries to round up men to help him fight against a trio of men coming to seek revenge on the Marshal for sending them to prison some years before. The film makes use of it's one location setting and slow burn plot to make the film's short runtime (just 85 minutes) fly by. Also starring Grace Kelly and James Bridges, High Noon creates an entertaining Western full of tension and moral tales.
The film is unique for a Western, as it doesn't feature many action packed scenes like horse chases and shoot outs, but instead focuses primarily on conversations that Will Kane has with various townsfolk as he pleads for their help. The group of outlaws create tension by stalking around the outside of town waiting for a train to arrive, without ever having to raise a gun until the final climax of the film, in which the Marshal's wife (Kelly) helps save the day - while no one else in town would come to Kane's aid.
While the film can often come across as preachy - it was trying to create an allegory relating to the Blacklist that was making it's way through Hollywood at the time - Cooper's lead performance as a desperate man trying to save his town and his marriage is gripping enough to make the film worth watching.
I recommend this film to fans of Westerns and classic movies.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Recommended for fans of: classics, 3:10 to Yuma (1957) , westerns, Shane (1953), Stagecoach (1939)
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