In the coastal town of Lago, a drifter (Clint Eastwood) arrives and is bullied by three "bad guys". He kills them and soon he is invited by the locals to protect the city against three outlaws that would leave a nearby prison in a couple of days. One year ago, these criminals killed Marshal Jim Duncan using whips. The marshal asked for help and the coward towners did not help him. The killers were sent to jail and promised to come back to burn the city when they leave the jail. The citizens offer anything the stranger want "free of charge" for the protection against the rage of the criminals. Who might be the stranger with no name?
"High Plains Drifter" is a great movie about revenge. The viewer never knows whether the "stranger with no name" is a brother or a friend of Marshal Jim Duncan, or whether he is the avenger angel of Jim Duncan himself looking for revenge. In the last scene, when Mordecai asks for the name of the stranger while carving the gravestone of Jin Duncanin the cemetery telling that he did not know his name, the drifter responds that Mordecai does know his name. In the gravestone is written "Marshall Jim Duncan - Rest in Peace". Fans of western movies will not be disappointed with this film, no matter whether he is a cowboy or a supernatural character. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "O Estranho sem Nome" ("The Stranger without a Name")
Note: On 01 Sep 2020, I saw this film again.
