“High Plains Drifter” Movie Review

 

“High Plains Drifter”

 

Movie Review

 

 

The 1973 American Western movie High Plains Drifter was produced by Robert Daley, directed by Clint Eastwood, and written by Ernest Tidyman. Eastwood plays an enigmatic stranger who administers justice in a lawless mining community in the movie. Sergio Leone and Don Siegel, Eastwood's two principal collaborators, had a big impact on the movie. Along with Eastwood, Verna Bloom, Mariana Hill, Mitchell Ryan, Jack Ging, and Stefan Gierasch also appear in the movie.

The movie was filmed on-location in Mono Lake in California. The film score was composed by Dee Barton. At the time of its first release, the movie received favorable reviews, and it is still widely watched today. 

 

In the American Old West mining town of Lago, a mysterious, unknown man rides into the desert. He is taunted and threatened by three hired shooters for the town's security; he easily dispatches all three of them. He rapes Callie Travers in the livery stable after the lovely, blond townwoman taunts him in a provocative manner.  The following night, while the residents of Lago remain silent, the Stranger has a dream in which a U.S. Marshal named Jim Duncan is put to death by whipping by the outlaws Stacey Bridges and brothers Dan and Cole Carlin.

 

The next day, Lago's town council makes the Stranger whatever deal he likes in exchange for protecting the town from Bridges and the Carlins, who will shortly be freed from jail and need to be replaced. As it becomes clearer, the locals hired the outlaws to kill Duncan when Duncan learned that the town's gold mine was being operated illegally on government-owned territory and would have to be shut down, devastating the lifeblood of the community. The criminals have promised retaliation after the locals planned to accuse them of stealing riches in order to avoid paying them.

 

The Stranger accepts the position and makes the most of the opportunity. He names a pitiful dwarf named Mordecai as both the mayor and sheriff, gives a Native American family blankets and candy when a shopkeeper declines to serve them, buys a new saddle and pair of boots, and orders the saloon to provide everyone with free drinks. Later, he gives the order for Lewis and Sarah Belding, the hotel's proprietors, and all other visitors to leave, leaving him as the only inhabitant.

Morgan Allen and a group of guys, including Callie, resolve to murder the Stranger. Callie sneaks out of his room after having sex with him just as three men walk in. The Stranger shoots two of his assailants dead as they inadvertently beat a dummy in the bed, causing most of the hotel to be destroyed. Morgan then flees injured. The Stranger leads Sarah into her bedroom, where they engage in sexual activity, despite her protests. The village buried Duncan in an unmarked grave, which makes it impossible for him to rest in peace, Sarah explains to the Stranger the next morning.

The Stranger gathers a group of local residents and instructs them in shooting, but quickly discovers that none of them has the requisite abilities. He instructs the town's buildings to be painted blood crimson in order to keep the residents busy. The injured Morgan is subsequently followed by him as he leaves town without more explanation. He paints the word "Hell" on the town sign before walking away.

Bridges and the Carlins are found by The Stranger after finishing off Morgan, and after harassing them with explosives and rifle fire, the outlaws assume that the townspeople are to blame. When the Stranger returns to Lago, he surveys the preparations, including the red-painted town, the armed soldiers on the roofs, the picnic tables full of food and drink, and the large "WELCOME HOME BOYS" banner, before softly leaving once more. The town's residents put up little of a fight against the outlaws when they first arrive, and all of them are slaughtered while the survivors are gathered in the saloon.

One of the Carlin brothers is lured outdoors by The Stranger, who then whips him to death before dispatching the remaining outlaws one by one. Mordecai kills Belding when he pointed a shotgun to the Stranger's back. The Stranger passes Mordecai at the graveyard when he rides by the following morning. Mordecai remarks, "You know, I never did know your name." The Stranger answers, "Yes, you do." Mordecai is standing next to the gravestone he just completed carving, which reads, "Marshal Jim Duncan, Rest in Peace," as the Stranger rides out into the desert, leaving him bewildered.

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