This is a supernatural/psychological western. Clint's character could be an avenging angel or the ghost of Jim Duncan. You did bring up a good point that there are really no redeeming characters here. It was meant to be that way. As far as the cinematography goes, Bruce Surtees was one of the best. A couple suggestions for your reaction list would be the 1971 Clint Eastwood psychological thriller Play Misty for Me and the 1962 Kirk Douglas movie Lonely Are the Brave. Douglas considered it his personal favorite and nobody has reacted to it yet. Great reaction to this film as well.👍
This movie was shot on location on the northern shores of Mono Lake, a large alkaline lake in the Eastern Sierra mountains of California. It is large unchanged. Even today, if you park along the side of northbound Highway 395, you can figure out where the sets were built just by looking at the surroundings, even though the sets no longer exist. Across 395 to the west is a truly beautiful lake (Lundy Lake) that is a great place for fishing.
Doubling down on this comment! On 395, within driving distance of Mono Lake is Lone Pine, CA. Lone Pine is the location of the Alabama Hills, a location used for movies and then TV since the 1910s. The focus was always Westerns but sci-fi shows have also been shot there, including Star Trek: Deep Space 9, Tremors and Iron Man. They hold a 3-day movie festival the 2nd weekend in October (aka Columbus Day Weekend). There’s also a film museum that’s pretty cool!
A couple recommendations regarding Eastwood films: Absolute Power (1997) Blood Work (2002) Space Cowboys (2000) was a light hearted and fun movie with some terrific old school actors in it.
Many of the shots and angles were inspired by Sergio Leone's trilogy (For a fistful of Dollars, For a few Dollars more and The good, the bad and the ugly). But to tell you the truth, Sergio Leone's best western is "Once Upon a Time in the West", a super great western difficult to match or even come close. It features Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards and Claudia Cardinale. A must-see movie for sure.
Once Upon A Time In The West was one of my father's absolute favourites. I've seen it multiple times as a kid. And I mean, Claudia Cardinale... One of the most beautiful women to have ever lived.
It's a supernatural western. Is the Clint Eastwood character a worldly avenger of (perhaps) his brother Marshal Duncan? Or, is he the ghost of Duncan? Or is he an avenging angel? The film is in the tradition of Old Testament judgment and wrath. The town and it's inhabitants must be cleansed and the Stranger is sent to do the cleansing. The film has a very definite moral outlook, it's just one that contemporary viewers don't share. The judgment is quick, total and severe. Those who weren't directly involved in Duncan's murder, but were passive when it happened, survived, but were chastened. As the final scene shows, the spared knew what happened to them and they had the opportunity to become fully moral human beings.
The stranger comes out of the blistering heat from nowhere riding on a pale horse then after he gets revenge from Jim Duncan's curse which he utters against the people of a town that murdered him, the stranger rides back into the desert and disappears. First reincarnated angry spiritual western I've ever seen. Still like it to this day.
Another Leone movie that came out in 1973 was My Name Is Nobody Original title: Il mio nome è Nessuno... A funny comedy western with Henry Fonda and Terence Hill that is often overlooked
One of the great revisionist Westerns - no pure heroes, but a setting and theme of self-defense in a world of semi-anarchy. The supernatural revenge element is re-used by Eastwood in Pale Rider which is a revisionist retelling of Shane (it's my theory that the shark in Jaws is the same too). There are themes of power, guilt and fear in the story too, which when combined with gender explain how some of the characters are treated by the Stranger. In a world where men are supposed to be self-sufficient, providers and protectors, you humiliate a man by beating him, killing him or taking whatever he has from him. For a woman it is different.
The music that is played during the opening scene of the movie is superb. Clint's performance in this movie is superb aswell, but I don't like the way he rapes the woman at the start. My Top 5 favourite Clint Eastwood movies are: 1. A Fistful Of Dollars 2. Hang 'Em High 3. Dirty Harry 4. Magnum Force 5. For A Few Dollars More
Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969), starring James Garner, is a parody of a common Western trope: the selfless, rugged stranger who tames a lawless frontier town. I thought it was hilarious.
8:55, Anthony James. Mostly a generic TV Baddie. And then once or twice a decade got himself into a Classic. In the Heat of the Night. High Plains Drifter. Unforgiven. (.... Naked Gun 2½😅)
I think your comment on pacing is a little off. You said the same about Ex Machina. I think it’s a factor of movies today. All produced according to the manual. Action scene every 22 minutes. 3 acts. Jump scare every 18 minutes. Auteur movies don’t do anything according to a manual. For heaven’s sake don’t watch Kubrick’s magnum opus Barry Lyndon, you’ll hate it. Even though it’s one of the most sumptuous and incredible pieces of art ever. Time and space is as impactful as explosions and fights
I have a recommend for you, a classic that no one watches. "Warlock" (1959) Henry Fonda, Richard Widmark, Anthony Quinn. A very different kind of western from America
I appreciate the way you watch films that nobody else is watching; It's a relief. Old movies are the best
His first film as director was "Play Misty for Me," from 1971.
That was a crazy movie.
My favourite western and probably my favourite Clint Eastwood movie as well.
This is a supernatural/psychological western. Clint's character could be an avenging angel or the ghost of Jim Duncan. You did bring up a good point that there are really no redeeming characters here. It was meant to be that way. As far as the cinematography goes, Bruce Surtees was one of the best. A couple suggestions for your reaction list would be the 1971 Clint Eastwood psychological thriller Play Misty for Me and the 1962 Kirk Douglas movie Lonely Are the Brave. Douglas considered it his personal favorite and nobody has reacted to it yet. Great reaction to this film as well.👍
This movie was shot on location on the northern shores of Mono Lake, a large alkaline lake in the Eastern Sierra mountains of California. It is large unchanged. Even today, if you park along the side of northbound Highway 395, you can figure out where the sets were built just by looking at the surroundings, even though the sets no longer exist. Across 395 to the west is a truly beautiful lake (Lundy Lake) that is a great place for fishing.
Doubling down on this comment! On 395, within driving distance of Mono Lake is Lone Pine, CA. Lone Pine is the location of the Alabama Hills, a location used for movies and then TV since the 1910s. The focus was always Westerns but sci-fi shows have also been shot there, including Star Trek: Deep Space 9, Tremors and Iron Man. They hold a 3-day movie festival the 2nd weekend in October (aka Columbus Day Weekend). There’s also a film museum that’s pretty cool!
A couple recommendations regarding Eastwood films:
Absolute Power (1997)
Blood Work (2002)
Space Cowboys (2000) was a light hearted and fun movie with some terrific old school actors in it.
Space Cowboys was a fun movie.
Many of the shots and angles were inspired by Sergio Leone's trilogy (For a fistful of Dollars, For a few Dollars more and The good, the bad and the ugly). But to tell you the truth, Sergio Leone's best western is "Once Upon a Time in the West", a super great western difficult to match or even come close. It features Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards and Claudia Cardinale. A must-see movie for sure.
Once Upon A Time In The West was one of my father's absolute favourites. I've seen it multiple times as a kid. And I mean, Claudia Cardinale... One of the most beautiful women to have ever lived.
Shandor! Buddy! Please consider making Clint’s EIGER SANCTION ur next one!
It's a supernatural western. Is the Clint Eastwood character a worldly avenger of (perhaps) his brother Marshal Duncan? Or, is he the ghost of Duncan? Or is he an avenging angel?
The film is in the tradition of Old Testament judgment and wrath. The town and it's inhabitants must be cleansed and the Stranger is sent to do the cleansing. The film has a very definite moral outlook, it's just one that contemporary viewers don't share. The judgment is quick, total and severe. Those who weren't directly involved in Duncan's murder, but were passive when it happened, survived, but were chastened. As the final scene shows, the spared knew what happened to them and they had the opportunity to become fully moral human beings.
Tremendous comment and analysis. Nail on the head
Can’t help thinking of Trump at 20:40
Lol. That is the same actor that played Skinny from Unforgiven.
Eastwood is Duncan's ghost. It's as simple as that.
The stranger comes out of the blistering heat from nowhere riding on a pale horse then after he gets revenge from Jim Duncan's curse which he utters against the people of a town that murdered him, the stranger rides back into the desert and disappears. First reincarnated angry spiritual western I've ever seen. Still like it to this day.
Another Leone movie that came out in 1973 was My Name Is Nobody Original title: Il mio nome è Nessuno... A funny comedy western with Henry Fonda and Terence Hill that is often overlooked
Don't forget to place "Once Upon A Time in the West", on your watch list too. It's a great one too.
I've seen that multiple times.
One of the great revisionist Westerns - no pure heroes, but a setting and theme of self-defense in a world of semi-anarchy. The supernatural revenge element is re-used by Eastwood in Pale Rider which is a revisionist retelling of Shane (it's my theory that the shark in Jaws is the same too).
There are themes of power, guilt and fear in the story too, which when combined with gender explain how some of the characters are treated by the Stranger. In a world where men are supposed to be self-sufficient, providers and protectors, you humiliate a man by beating him, killing him or taking whatever he has from him. For a woman it is different.
The music that is played during the opening scene of the movie is superb.
Clint's performance in this movie is superb aswell, but I don't like the way he rapes the woman at the start.
My Top 5 favourite Clint Eastwood movies are:
1. A Fistful Of Dollars
2. Hang 'Em High
3. Dirty Harry
4. Magnum Force
5. For A Few Dollars More
Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969), starring James Garner, is a parody of a common Western trope: the selfless, rugged stranger who tames a lawless frontier town. I thought it was hilarious.
8:55, Anthony James. Mostly a generic TV Baddie. And then once or twice a decade got himself into a Classic.
In the Heat of the Night.
High Plains Drifter.
Unforgiven.
(.... Naked Gun 2½😅)
I think your comment on pacing is a little off. You said the same about Ex Machina. I think it’s a factor of movies today. All produced according to the manual. Action scene every 22 minutes. 3 acts. Jump scare every 18 minutes. Auteur movies don’t do anything according to a manual. For heaven’s sake don’t watch Kubrick’s magnum opus Barry Lyndon, you’ll hate it. Even though it’s one of the most sumptuous and incredible pieces of art ever. Time and space is as impactful as explosions and fights
I have a recommend for you, a classic that no one watches. "Warlock" (1959) Henry Fonda, Richard Widmark, Anthony Quinn. A very different kind of western from America
FYI. EASTWOOD IS sheriff Dunkin. A ghost rider, of sorts.
Not my favorite of his but still good.