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High Plains Drifter (1973)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
22 August 1973 (USA) moreTagline:
Welcome to Hell morePlot:
A gunfighting stranger comes to the small settlement of Lago and is hired to bring the townsfolk together in an attempt to hold off three outlaws who are on their way. full summary | full synopsisNewsDesk:
(6 articles)
Weekly DVD & Blu-Ray Chopping List 10/27/2009 (From Fangoria. 24 October 2009, 10:01 PM, PDT)
Obituary: Us character actor John Quade dead at 71
(From Monsters and Critics. 14 August 2009, 10:15 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Darkest Eastwood western more (134 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Clint Eastwood | ... | The Stranger | |
| Verna Bloom | ... | Sarah Belding | |
| Marianna Hill | ... | Callie Travers (as Mariana Hill) | |
| Mitch Ryan | ... | Dave Drake (as Mitchell Ryan) | |
| Jack Ging | ... | Morgan Allen | |
| Stefan Gierasch | ... | Mayor Jason Hobart | |
| Ted Hartley | ... | Lewis Belding | |
| Billy Curtis | ... | Mordecai | |
| Geoffrey Lewis | ... | Stacey Bridges | |
| Scott Walker | ... | Bill Borders | |
| Walter Barnes | ... | Sheriff Sam Shaw | |
| Paul Brinegar | ... | Lutie Naylor | |
| Richard Bull | ... | Asa Goodwin | |
| Robert Donner | ... | Preacher | |
| John Hillerman | ... | Bootmaker |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
105 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)Certification:
Iceland:16 | USA:R (MPAA rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Spain:18 | Argentina:16 | UK:X (original rating) | Canada:18+ (Ontario - 2006) | Brazil:18 | Netherlands:12 | South Africa:16LV | Australia:M (cable rating) | Australia:R (original rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (heavily cut) | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:15 (heavily cut) | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Norway:(Banned) (1983-2003) (cinema release) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Germany:BPjM RestrictedFun Stuff
Trivia:
During an interview on "Inside the Actors Studio" (1994), Clint Eastwood commented that earlier versions of the script made The Stranger the dead marshal's brother. He favoured a less explicit and more supernatural interpretation and excised the reference. Although the Italian, Spanish, French and German dubbings retain it. moreGoofs:
Continuity: At the ambush, the stranger places the stick of dynamite just back from the edge of the slope. When it explodes, the explosion is a couple of feet down the slope from the edge, not where the dynamite was placed. moreQuotes:
[first lines]The Stranger: Beer... and a bottle.
Lutie Naylor: Ain't much good, but it's all there is.
[brings drinks]
Lutie Naylor: You want anything else?
The Stranger: Just a peaceful hour to drink in.
more
FAQ
Is there a book of this film?So who exactly is the stranger?
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"High Plains Drifter" is probably Clint Eastwood's darkest western and that says quite a bit. It has similarities with "Pale Rider", his other western gem. The hero is a mysterious, ghost-like figure and he fights against the evil and corruption that infests a small town in the middle of nowhere. What sets these two films apart is that here Eastwood is fighting a lone battle , and his only sidekick is the midget Mordecai, while almost all other inhabitants of Lago are corrupted or/and cowardly.
Eastwood delivers one of his strongest performances here and manages to be charming and humorous besides exacting cool-blooded vengeance. His interactions with the two women (Marianna Hill and Verna Bloom, both solid in their roles) who are very different draws comparisons to his earlier film "Hang 'Em High". But what sets this apart from the typical Eastwood fare is the dark nature of this movie. Anthony James, the man with the unforgettable face, is once again back as one of the main villains. The rest of the cast are quite forgettable and lesser known names, which adds credibility to this movie, making it a film to be taken seriously and not just a gathering of famous faces.
This film's perhaps strongest asset is the excellent screenplay by Ernest Tidyman, the Oscar-winner for "French Connection" and it is probably the best screenplay ever written for an Eastwood-directed western. The storyline never ceases to surprise and is full of suspense and great dialogue. As always, Clint knew who to pick. As always in the Clint films, this movie is not about love. Clint and Bloom's affair almost results in love, but it never gets the chance to develop. The surprise ending adds a great touch. This film really is a delight for fans of Clint Eastwood and unusual, film-noirish westerns.