My Favourite Movies: High Noon

As I have mentioned before I can trace my love of Westerns back to my fathers influence. He was a huge fan of John Wayne and this naturally led to other greats in the genre including this 1952 Oscar Award winning classic.

As with most of these films the story is deceptively simple. It starts with Sherriff Will Kane (played effortlessly by Gary Cooper) about to get married to his Quaker bride (the stunningly beautiful Grace Kelly). Just as rice is flying he hears that a killer he put away for murder has been released and is presumably on his way to seek revenge. Encouraged to leave by the townsfolk the newlyweds hightail it out of town only for Kane to turn back – initially for practical reasons and then for ethical reasons too. No one, including his new wife, can understand why he chose to return and put himself in danger. One by one his support falls away as friends and town businessmen find excuses why they can’t or won’t stand by him. It seems that the peace and stability the rule of law has brought is too restrictive impacting as it does on the takings in the saloon or the local hotel. People have forgotten how it was when cowboys roamed free in the town all too eager to use their guns on each other and anyone unlucky to get caught in the crossfire and when it was barely safe enough for a woman to walk across the street in broad daylight. So finally, when everything is at stake Kane is left alone to face Frank Miller and his gang alone.

It is easy to see why this film won 4 Oscars back in 1952. The flawless script steadily builds tension throughout the 85 minutes right up to the classic rolling shoot-out. The cinematography is brutal in black and white (I don’t think it would’ve working in colour as well as it did) and presents a deeply claustrophobic feeling despite being filmed on open empty streets. Cooper portrays the growing desperation of Kane brilliantly as he struggles to understand the town’s reluctance to get involved as well his own fear and desire to simply be with his new wife. All of that is balanced with his oath of office and his moral duty to defend people even if they seemingly chose the opposite. The warring emotions are clearly seen passing over Kane’s face like the dark clouds that herald a terrible storm. It is truly mesmerising and terrifying to watch. You can only wonder if you would have his strength of conviction and moral certainty in the face of such odds and indifference to those around him.

This is a true classic, not just of the Western genre but of any kind of cinema and whilst I do not hold it to be as good as The Magnificent Seven (which is probably my all time favourite Western) it’s definitely up there in my Top 10.