Post by artraveler on Dec 30, 2021 17:56:30 GMT -8
High Noon
When you say western there are a few movies that always come to mind, among those are Stagecoach, The Searchers, Hondo, and High Noon. Marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper) is getting married and hanging up his guns to marry Amy Fowler (Grace Kelly). Immediately after saying, I do and handing in his marshal badge, word comes that Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald), who marshal Kane had sent to prison for life has been pardoned. Miller has sworn revenge and is going to kill Will Kane.
Miller’s gang has assembled at the Hadleyville train station, awaiting Miller arrival on the noon train. In town Will Kane has picked up his badge and refuses to leave town when all his friends and his new wife encourage him to do so. He asks for assistance from his deputy, Harvey Pell (Lloyd Bridges) who refuses to be a part of the coming fight. Amy takes her Quaker beliefs to an ultimatum to Will, stay and fight and she is leaving. Will is torn between duty to the people of the town and his duty to his new wife. All the while time towards high noon is ticking away.
As the clock slowly moves to noon, we follow Will as he attempts to find assistance from people in the town, many who he called friend, but all refused to help, out of fear or reluctance to get involved. Amy has packed her bags and is headed out of town. Will is left alone, a single warrior facing difficult odds. Unsupported, and unloved.
The train is on time and Miller arms up prepared to have his vengeance on the man who sent him to prison. Four gunmen to the single marshal. The tension builds as the Miller gang walk the deserted street.
Amy has second thoughts as she is leaving town. She is fully aware of her oath just hours ago, “For better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer”. She turns the carriage around and returns to town. Amy gets into town in time to enter the marshal office and watches the street fight as Will manages to take out two of the four. As the fight moves down the street Will is pinned down and one of Miller’s men has him in his sights. It is Amy who kills the man. She shoots him in the back. The final fight between Miller and Will follows quickly.
As the last echo of the final shot ring through the town the residents come out of hiding. They are congratulating Will for his success. Will says not a word. He looks at the faces of people he called friend. He takes off his badge and throws it in the dirt. Neither he nor Amy say another word as they leave Hadleyville in the dust.
High Noon is a western that portrays the problems of the warrior who defends his culture even when that culture rejects him. Will Kane faces the same problem Ethan Edwards faces in The Searchers. Both love their culture and place their bodies in front of evil to defend it, and in the end are rejected by the very culture they defend.
Almost every week as I travel about with errands and shopping someone thanks me for my service. Most often it is from someone who should have been there themselves. It is not that I resent overmuch their lack of commitment but that almost always it seems like perfunctory curtesy. I am reminded of the last stanza from the Kipling poem Tommy.
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!
When you say western there are a few movies that always come to mind, among those are Stagecoach, The Searchers, Hondo, and High Noon. Marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper) is getting married and hanging up his guns to marry Amy Fowler (Grace Kelly). Immediately after saying, I do and handing in his marshal badge, word comes that Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald), who marshal Kane had sent to prison for life has been pardoned. Miller has sworn revenge and is going to kill Will Kane.
Miller’s gang has assembled at the Hadleyville train station, awaiting Miller arrival on the noon train. In town Will Kane has picked up his badge and refuses to leave town when all his friends and his new wife encourage him to do so. He asks for assistance from his deputy, Harvey Pell (Lloyd Bridges) who refuses to be a part of the coming fight. Amy takes her Quaker beliefs to an ultimatum to Will, stay and fight and she is leaving. Will is torn between duty to the people of the town and his duty to his new wife. All the while time towards high noon is ticking away.
As the clock slowly moves to noon, we follow Will as he attempts to find assistance from people in the town, many who he called friend, but all refused to help, out of fear or reluctance to get involved. Amy has packed her bags and is headed out of town. Will is left alone, a single warrior facing difficult odds. Unsupported, and unloved.
The train is on time and Miller arms up prepared to have his vengeance on the man who sent him to prison. Four gunmen to the single marshal. The tension builds as the Miller gang walk the deserted street.
Amy has second thoughts as she is leaving town. She is fully aware of her oath just hours ago, “For better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer”. She turns the carriage around and returns to town. Amy gets into town in time to enter the marshal office and watches the street fight as Will manages to take out two of the four. As the fight moves down the street Will is pinned down and one of Miller’s men has him in his sights. It is Amy who kills the man. She shoots him in the back. The final fight between Miller and Will follows quickly.
As the last echo of the final shot ring through the town the residents come out of hiding. They are congratulating Will for his success. Will says not a word. He looks at the faces of people he called friend. He takes off his badge and throws it in the dirt. Neither he nor Amy say another word as they leave Hadleyville in the dust.
High Noon is a western that portrays the problems of the warrior who defends his culture even when that culture rejects him. Will Kane faces the same problem Ethan Edwards faces in The Searchers. Both love their culture and place their bodies in front of evil to defend it, and in the end are rejected by the very culture they defend.
Almost every week as I travel about with errands and shopping someone thanks me for my service. Most often it is from someone who should have been there themselves. It is not that I resent overmuch their lack of commitment but that almost always it seems like perfunctory curtesy. I am reminded of the last stanza from the Kipling poem Tommy.
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!
